Substitute Queen
by Autunno
Summary: Who would have guessed that the least likely of people (or things in this case) became friends? Certainly, no one else but they did become friends. A friend everyone dreams about having. But more than just friends, they built themselves a family where they were safe and loved. No hiding. No more feeling outcasted. They belonged there.
1. Part 1

**Part 1**

 _How the Xeno Works:_

As a youngling (hatchling to mini version of Xeno: will be from the egg to little ways past the chest burster)- uses echolocation (use of sound like bats) due to undeveloped eyes

"Teen Years" (mini v. to adult: from beginning to take the form of the xeno to the actual bodily development of the xeno) - little use of echolocation due to development of electroreception though both are used frequently. Can switch between them though electroreception is commonly used. Cannot use both at the same time - would cause confusion and complications.

Adulthood - in this case, we have a large warrior type that is bred, eggs all have the slightest difference DNA in them that allows for different classes of xeno. All types will develop their eyesight effectively but in the case of a warrior, they are prone to be more nocturnal. They use eyesight less because of the sensitivity. In case they are blinded by the light (eyes are sensitive for every class), warriors have the habit of naturally relying on other senses including echolocation and electroreception.

Intelligence expands through experience, but most heavily relies on the host. For example, and not as foreshadowing or a hint or anything, if the host is a typical white male who can speak English and German, then the xenomorph would inherit the basic vocabulary of the two languages. They could, of course, learn other languages, but they are born with the basic knowledge of their host's intelligence.

Being social creatures, it is rare to survive without the Queen or hive communication. Drones or workers will not typically survive without direction. Royal guards, those who guard the Queen, will most likely be able to survive the longest but will go into a frenzy looking for that communication. Warriors are the same just different that they will survive a shorter period of time than Royal Guards.

Hunters, a class between warrior and drone, is more like a stage if a drone begins to grow into the warrior class (often viewed as a mutation - never on purpose, but strangely common).

As a scale from longest to shortest, survival rate is from Royal Guard, Warrior, Hunter then Drone/ Worker.

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The scientists couldn't have hoped for more. With little sacrifice, they had their third xenomorph on board. According to the DNA samples, it would be warrior class. The other two were both drones and so far, experimenting had been going horribly. They were already weakening due to lack of communication with the Hive.

Unlike other ships, they had no queen aboard in case a break out occurred, which was being a frequent thing. With only three on board, it would be easy to keep under control. Once they died, three or so more eggs would be delivered to continue the experimentation.

As predicted, the drones died out fairly quickly. The warrior was still in its early stages, too young to do the real experiments on. No need to lose this one so quickly, by being impatient and starting early. However, the little bugger escaped during the removal of the dead drones.

Full panic went all throughout the ship. Vents were being closed off and personnel locked in their quarters. Their motion sensors picked nothing up. No tracking chip had been placed either.

The scientists wanted to wait just before the skin hardens to implant one. As younglings, their skin is soft, allowing a chip to be implanted easily, but then, they would rip the chip out, not caring if they were hurt in the process. If their skin was given time to prepare to harden, the implanted chip would slip right in and then be "sealed" inside.

They would scratch at the spot for a couple of days and then, they'd forget about it.

Marshalls led in marines for a full-scale search but nothing was found. Some say it left through a ship that had been docked but the other crew had found nothing.

Life returned back to the ship. The alien must have left through a shuttle pod that had been sent out with waste. Though there was no proof the thing was on there, it was probable and the most accepted theory.

Little Henrietta didn't quite understand why she had been locked up in her room. Her father, a marshal, explained nothing. He threw her inside and locked her in. While she had been, beforehand, given rations to last, she had no access to the public bathrooms on her living quarter's floor. Other than wetting herself on several occasions, Henrietta did fine. Ish.

Once everyone was free to go, she ran to the bathroom to wash and properly use the facility. She was thankful, not alone. Her father hadn't come to check up on her, too busy with his usual duties.

Actually, that wasn't even her real father. She was adopted into the family by her deceased adoptive mother, not necessarily a fact that had been thrown into her face, but her father rarely kept anything secret between them. Her mother had been diagnosed with cancer and died shortly after. They had found it too late, Henrietta was told.

Henrietta just assumed that was his way of grieving. Susan, a teacher at the ship's school, told her that some people have odd ways of dealing with their grievances. Work was her father's.

Henrietta had seen the xenomorph herself when she wandered into the labs. Often, she made her father a sandwich for lunch and on the way to taking it to him, she had taken a wrong turn.

Instead of kicking her out, a scientist had a helper give the sandwich to her father while she explained xenomorphs to her. Her father had been furious and Henrietta banned from the lab.

To her, it was sad to see the little creature all curled up in the center of the room, no blankets or anything. It looked uncomfortable and cold. Waving goodbye to it, her father dragged her from the lab and back to her room.

For a moment, it was as if it had noticed her because it looked up, tailing sliding on the floor, back and forth. But it could have been startled or curious about the sudden noise aka her father yelling.

Now that she and the other passengers were free, Henrietta grabbed her coloring book and headed outside her room. Vents were reopened and free for her to use as a getaway. The school was canceled for a few days due to the panic. It was like school was canceled due to snow, only space doesn't have snow.

Crawling through the vents, careful to keep quiet in case she was caught. Henrietta made her way to an open section. Pipes ran through this area, keeping it warm all the time plus it provided a nice spot for her to set many pillows and blankets.

Grates were above most of the area, so if anyone looked down, they would be able to see her, however, the grates only covered the sections where pipes were. Removing the grates gave easy access to the pipes down below without the hassle of crawling all over the place. Past that section was a large nook where Henrietta stored her stuff.

Now, she had some interesting company.

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 **11/12: Hey! For any new or old followers of the story, I am replacing chapters with better grammar and such. Also, some new scenes have been added so make sure to look for those! I noticed that the format had gotten messed up for quite a few of the chapters. Those weren't errors on my part but on the uploading. These will be fixed. I have new chapters on the way and if there are any requests to see these guys like on vacation (someone already called this one but as an example) or anything of the sort, just PM or leave a Review for me!**

 **I mentioned it in a later chapter, but old Author Notes are still attached to the chapters. Any new ones have a date attached to them like this one and a few others you'll see with different dates just when I added those during editing.**


	2. Part 2

**Part 2**

"Uh-oh." She stopped her crawling as she took in the large, feral creature in front of her. "Xenomorph…"

Its eyeless skull turned towards her, a hiss of warning. It laid curled on her blanketed nest, her favorite pillow under one of its claws.

"Um…" Crawling forward, it hissed again but made no moves towards her. It's why they never found it. It had never moved, meaning it wouldn't appear on their sensors.

Henrietta tried to reach for the pillow but this time it hissed, its tail snapping from its position to wave in front of her.

"I just want my pillow." Her fingers grazed it, grabbing it with just the slightest pinch of her fingers, she tugged. It let the pillow go, allowing her to scramble back. Its tail dropped to its side.

Though Henrietta should go and tell someone, the unfortunate thing would be locked up again. Reaching for her little snack box, she pulled out some beef jerky and threw it a piece. It opened its mouth, a second one appearing to take a little nipple of the meat. Finding it satisfactory, it gobbled it down and turned to her, hissing.

Reaching out, she gave it another strip. It took it from her hand this time. After it finished that, the second mouth came out slowly, reaching for her hand. Squealing, Henrietta jumped back, unsure of its motives. It straightened up at her sudden movement before it slowly approached her. Henrietta grabbed another meaty piece and flung it at it.

Catching it mid-air, the meat was gone in seconds. Again, the creature scooted towards her, slowly approaching her. Pushing away her fear, Henrietta reached out a hand, curiosity taking hold. The second mouth reappeared and gently nipped at her outstretched fingers. With a contented purr, it settled against the blankets once again. Henrietta left more beef jerky on a pillow near it before settling to color.

For a nine-year-old, Henrietta has heard a lot of things a child shouldn't have. Her love to explore vents did that. At first, she kept holed up in her room until, during class one day, two boys had been absent but then brought in by her father. They were caught skipping school by hiding in the vents.

After doing her own exploring, Henrietta learned from their mistakes. They were being loud and had been caught when under the grates. Keeping quiet and staying away from the grates as much as possible, she hadn't been caught yet. If she was careful and lucky, she wouldn't be caught ever.

The xeno across from her munched on the meat from time to time but otherwise stayed still.

Henrietta finished her coloring of a jungle scene and taped it on the wall with the rest of them. Pulling a spare blanket to her, she got comfy on the floor. The tail whipped out, grabbing her wrist and pulling her onto the nest of blankets. It released her as soon as she laid next to it. Lazily, it laid across her waist, pinning her to the floor.

Henrietta gulped but when the large creature began to purr, she felt a sudden calmness wash over her. When she woke, the lights were dim, signaling the night cycle of the ship. The xeno was snuggled against her back, snoozing away.

Stretching, Henrietta moved away to go back to her room. By now, her father would be wondering where she had been. A few voices were heard and footsteps sounded just above her. People were still up and judging by a few short conversations, the night cycle had just begun.

Leaving the xeno behind, Henrietta made it back to the vent entrance/exit and slid up onto the floor unnoticed. Hightailing it back to her room, she ran right into her father.

"Time for bed, Rita." Walking her back, her father opened the door and kissed her goodnight. They didn't share the same room or even have connecting rooms. Those were mostly families with smaller children and one was currently being used as a nursery. There had been an incident where a few crew members died, leaving behind children. The ship would raise them.

Henrietta's father, Watts Winston, slept just a few doors down from her room. No biggie really and it left her able to sneak out at night when it was quiet on the ship. Dressing in her orange onesie, she crawled into her cot that was connected to the wall and turned off her lamp.

Tomorrow would be interesting.

Henrietta accompanied her dad to the cafeteria where most received their breakfast. The food and drink dispensers were customizable for meals but also held combo like deals.

Henrietta made sure to get extra sausages and a few strips of bacon. She had grabbed a baggy to store them in. No one bothered her since it wasn't uncommon to grab extras as a snack for later. Keeping it strictly by her side, she ate her breakfast and waved goodbye to her father once it was time for him to work.

Once no one was around, Henrietta slipped inside the vent and crawled to her spot. However, all her blankets, extra food, pillows, and pictures were taken down. Panicking, she looked for any evidence of where they could have gone.

Did someone find it?

Did someone find the xeno?

Stopping, she kept low in her crouch, listening. A little noise came from another area in the vents. Following it, Henrietta made sure to keep track of where she went lest she gets lost inside. Making the final right turn, she was greeted with not only a dead end but all her stuff stored up. The blankets were laid out with pillows everywhere, her food was stacked in a pile at the edge along with a few bundled up blankets. Even her pictures were placed back up on the wall. However, no xenomorph could be seen.

A hiss was her only warning before something bumped into her, sending her to the floor on her stomach. Claws moved past her, ones she recognized. The xeno settled itself against the dead-end wall.

Huffing, Henrietta sat, pouting at the creature and what it had done. It snorted at her before nuzzling itself against her stomach.

"You're not so bad, are you?" She rubbed its smooth head, smiling as it contently purred.

Smile widening, an idea came to the young kid.

"Well there Mr. Xeno, if you're gonna be my friend we need to establish names and nicknames! I am Henrietta but my daddy calls me Rita for short. What should I call you?" Of course, the xeno never answered but purred instead, content in her presence.

Quiet as she thought, Henrietta, petted him absentmindedly.

"I'll call you… Prince!" Giggling, Henrietta leaned against the wall, feeling sleepy. For a moment, she blinked, the usual haziness drifting through her mind before she closed them altogether.

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 **Sorry for the long wait on this but I had a lapse in exactly what I wanted. However, I know how to continue this story so no worries about me just leaving it. To answer a few questions and some future confusion (describing xenos as we go through the story is tough on you guys to keep up because it takes her a while as well and even then she doesn't understand everything) here's some info:**

 **Yes, Rita is in the 7-10 age range, I haven't finalized her age just yet but I'm leading towards nine-ish.**

 **Xenos are just as smart as humans, even more so I'd say. Like many animals, the xeno can feel the change in mood in us, like dogs and cats. However, this little guy is in his "teen" stage, not quite an adult yet. That does not make him any less dangerous but he will act much like a child or in some cases a puppy. Once again, he is still intelligent, more so compared to any average human child or teen and does recognize that not all humans are bad much like we recognize that not all dogs are bad and want to rip us to shreds. But, he is still willing to kill in order to survive or if he feels threatened.**

 **I hope this helps without giving too much away. Please PM or comment if you have any questions about this. I'll gladly answer via author's note on my chapters for everyone to see and understand. Thank you for reading and encouraging me! Please Enjoy!**


	3. Part 3

**Part 3**

 **Edit: 10-19-16: It was brought to my attention that the time change was very sudden. I went back to check and I realized that my "3 years later" was not centered or bolded as it should have been. For that, I do apologize and have fixed the error. Hopefully, some of you guys caught it, despite not being centered or bolded. I get that its hard to catch those small things in a jumble of words that make it blend in.**

 **11/12: I like it italicized better, but its still centered, so that shouldn't be a problem.**

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The nap had been short-lived as her new companion woke her with several hisses near her ear. Prince crouched just behind her, hissing at the intruders.

After listening a little while herself, she recognized the voices just down the vent hall. A maintenance crew had been dispatched to check and upgrade a few things. What was wrong or needed upgrading was lost on Rita.

She placed a hand on Prince's head, trying to quiet him down. Instead, he pushed past her, intending on finding the source of the voices. Rita grabbed his tail, attempting again to stop him. This time he did but turned on her with a low growl. A chill shot up her spine, making her skin covered in goosebumps.

However, she didn't stop. She tugged harder on his tail in a vain attempt to stop him. The tail slipped from her fingers, the blunt, sharp edges cutting through her skin with a searing pain.

"Ow!" Tears blurred her vision as red pooled into her hands.

Prince stopped to look at her, head cocked. He crept forward, his second mouth coming out to nip her hands. Squealing in pain, Henrietta pulled her hands away, ready to cry helplessly.

He came around, his tail wrapping around her waist to pull her into his chest where his purr vibrated through her body. Saliva began to pour from his mouth, dripping down onto her hands.

Her hands stung for a bit, but Henrietta sniffed back her tears, watching the saliva begin to wrap around her hands in a strange clear goo. The red from the injury seeped inside of it, like a sponge, and tainted it. All too soon, the colors changed once more to that of a mahogany brown.

Once her hands had been bandaged and Prince inspected it to his satisfaction, he turned back to the voices just a few yards away.

"Stop! You're going to get us both in trouble!" Henrietta whisper-yelled at the beast but clearly, she hadn't been quite enough as the men suddenly stopped their conversation. She held her breath listening for them.

"I heard it down this way." A flashlight could be seen beaming in their general direction.

"Probably another kid playing down here. Let's go get Winston." They crawled away, exiting through a maintenance hatch.

"Now we _are_ in big trouble!" This time she freely yelled at him. However, Prince sat there, staring straight at her. It didn't look like he even understood a single word she said by the way he titled his head.

Henrietta gathered her things, hoping to make a hasty retreat to her room. She dragged her belongings to the hatch she often used. While still always away from her room, she could easily make a lie and it wasn't like it was uncommon for her to settle in a nest of pillows and blankets with snacks to color.

Not many people loitered the hallway. School took a break that day, letting the kids freely roam or play in one of the many playhouses. Adults often worked by this time and lunch break had yet to occur.

Henrietta beckoned him up, to which he easily squirmed his way out of the floor hatch. She made sure to cover him with a blanket before leading him to her room.

One of the other children saw her dragging the bundles along but quickly returned to his friends, not thinking much of the loner girl, and completely missing the creature with a colorful, fluffy blanket following her.

Once in her room, she unpacked her things, stuffing most of them under the bed. Her attention returned to the creature looking a little out of place in her overly colorful room and her rainbow blanket draped over his shoulders.

"What am I going to do about you?" Henrietta put her hands on her hips, her "bandage" forgotten.

 _3 years later_

"Prince! Prince! Look what I got!" Henrietta came running up to the dozing xenomorph. She slid down to her knees and thrust the brand-new sketchpad in his face. If she could see his eyes, she would know of his sleepiness and the confusion he felt about the strange thing.

He had watched her countless times color and doodle in the books that looked like this. Prince examined her from head to toe, noting the happy air about her. Content with her good mood, he returned to his dozing.

"You are no fun!" Rita jumped up, grabbing her new set of coloring materials to draw. Silence settled into the room once more, pleasing the overly sensitive xenomorph. His senses flipped back and forth, viewing the room in a matter of ways. No one had passed by the door in over five minutes, just before his friend came hurling towards him.

"Hey, Prince, have you gotten bigger?" The question had him sitting up to face her. He understood her clearly just as he knew that the new book she drew in came from her 12th birthday, something she had well informed him about that morning.

Prince knew English quite well, adjusting himself to her much more limited knowledge. While he couldn't speak the same tongue as her, he could understand most of what she spoke.

Returning himself to her question, he looked about for her mirror before gazing into to see himself. Certainly, he had grown, practically an adult by his species standards, despite being born several years after Rita.

The child still looked towards him, either expecting an answer or evaluating his form herself. If she came to a conclusion, she did not share. Instead, Henrietta returned to her book for drawing. But yes, he had grown since his 'teen' stage. Immensely so.

"Oh, Prince? I brought you some cake." Rita set aside her drawing and opened a small canister on the edge of her bed. He could smell the rich sweetness of the treat and took delight in nibbling a bit of it.

Prince took the whole canister and set it down in front of him so he could snack. Henrietta, glad he enjoyed it, returned to her book for the last time. It was later that night, in her routine for bed, did she finally put it aside. Her comforter covered her still small form and Prince slept by her bed, in her makeshift nest for him.

The past three years had been a struggle for them. Prince could understand her but that did not mean he agreed with her. He did not like being cooped up in her room or hiding under the movable panel when her father came. He couldn't understand that.

Why did he need to hide every time someone knocked on her door?

What was so bad about him being in her room?

Still, he enjoyed her company, especially when she was happy. So, he listened, only moving through the vents to stretch his legs and taking the food, she'd give him. Though, in the middle of the night, he'd find proper food in the cafeteria, something that could fill his stomach.

Prince had not been the only one. Henrietta struggled with school, still lonely and separated from the other kids in the classroom. She took comfort in Prince but he couldn't speak to her like she wanted. Her own father, too busy to notice anything different about his daughter, didn't talk to her but at breakfast. She slept most days, tired from the lack of communication and depressed.

Prince often sensed these shifts in mood, coming to her aid by curling himself around her and purring gently. His behavior often fascinated but delighted her. Sadly, when Prince's mood shifted, she could not feel it. He came to understand their differences and similarities, her species lacking the primitive senses he still possessed. So, when sad or angry, he came to her and she always fixed it, like a doting mother.

Henrietta made her way to the cafeteria, ready to meet her dad for breakfast. They sat in usual silence, eating their pancakes.

"Rita," the tone of his voice sounded cautious, carefully planned. "I'd like you to stay at the playhouse today with the other kids."

"I don't wanna." She picked idly at her food, uninterested.

"I don't care. You're going to until I come to get you. That's final." His calm demeanor changed in an instant. Watts slapped down his fork and stood, taking both their trays for disposal. She followed head bowed until they reached the room where some kids already were. They took notice of the new edition and Rita stayed in her corner, looking out the window.

Some of the supervisors tried to get her to join with the other kids, already recognizing her solitude from the classroom. Still, she refused to move, unwilling to do as she was told and socialize. The adults gave up, the children not even bothering to try.

The night cycle came and her father had yet to return from his duties. Everyone else left, except the old man who taught her history. Mr. Hemsing sat in the foldable chair, aimlessly letting his eyes wander the stars.

"Do you have a friend, Henrietta?" He never took his eyes from the stars.

"Yeah, he's nice."

"That's good. Do you get to see him a lot?" His hand reached up to touch the glass, just the fingertips as if what he reached for was fragile.

"Yeah. Do you like the stars?" Henrietta turned her attention to them as well, taking a keen interest in some that glowed.

"Of course. But you don't, do you?" She shook her head in reply. "You've never explored an earthly planet. A shame, too. To be cooped up in here must be hard, the others find themselves lost in anything to escape the reality. Us adults, however, love it, knowing the ground all our life and now being able to fly in space is amazing." He flattened his palm, smiling a little at the scenery.

"Mr. Hemsing, why do you teach history?"

"Because somebody had to and teaching is easier on my limbs." He flexed his skinny arm, winking in good humor. To this, little Rita laughed, suddenly enjoying the empty space given to them.

"Henrietta." She jumped at her name, finding her father just behind her at the doorway. "Thank you, Mr. Hemsing. Have a nice night."


	4. Part 4

**Part 4**

"Why?!" Henrietta pounded against the door. Her father stood just on the other side. Mr. Hemsing held her by her shoulders, weakly attempting to calm her.

Watts had packed his daughter's stuff, one reason why he had shown so late that night. By the next morning, a shuttle had been prepared and their belongings already on board. Mr. Hemsing agreed to watch after Henrietta while they were on the planet.

Many of the children were also packed and ready to be sent down to neighboring planets where loved ones would take care of them. This had been an agreed upon plan after the devastating attack that left many orphaned.

New recruits would arrive on the ship in the following week, fully understanding the previous history aboard the ship. Some crew feared the xeno still lived and another search of the ship would be conducted after the children left.

Watts, himself, had lost his wife in the attack. His daughter almost followed, an eight-month infant. Rita had been on life support for a month when the medicine finally showed that it had been working on her tissues, fixing the damage.

"Launching in three, two, one…" The entire shuttle jerked forward, knocking the young girl and old man off their feet. It launched into space before slowing. The pilot gravitated the ship towards the atmosphere of a red-looking planet.

It looked to be one big desert but upon entering the atmosphere, large plateaus covered most of the planet. The large rocks took heat from the sun, making it not hospitable. Below, dwelling in the shadow of them was where vegetation and most of the cities flourished.

Shuttles from the ship spread out like fireflies, landing in all parts of the planet. Rita continued to look up, now wishing she had never despised being among the stars. Mr. Hemsing finally escorted her to her seat, strapping them in.

Other children on board cried but some were excited about the new land, not for a second hesitating in their glee. When the ship landed, they were the first out, running around and breathing fresh air for the first time. Others who had been crying or stubbornly refusing to accept their new home were carried out, comforted by adult's false words. Henrietta, being the eldest in the group, knew their parents weren't coming back for a long time, or at all.

Hemsing led her to retrieve their belongings before getting a cab to take them to their new home. Already a house had been bought and furnished for the two of them.

"Maybe you can see your friend, Henrietta. I'm sure he came down here too." The man tried to comfort her in the back of the cab. His arm wound around her shoulders, pulling her in for a half hug.

"He's still aboard the ship, Mr. Hemsing. I won't see him again." Instead of being sympathetic or questioning her words, the old man chuckled and patted her head. Henrietta could smell his cologne, one of spice like any old man would wear.

"Fate works in all mysterious ways, hun. I'm sure you'll see him again."

They arrived at the house. This kind of suburb was new and many trees still separated people from their neighbors. The many who ventured this far often bought large acres of land and took the nearby train station into the city for work.

Her father had bought the house, a good patch of land along with it. Hemsing had the backyard cleared for some livestock. He shared his farm stories back on Earth where his grandfather taught him all sorts of things. Much like Henrietta, Hemsing never saw his dad much and soon after his graduation from high school, his dad died a proud Marine.

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 **11/12: This chapter is so short T.T I would add Part 5 to the end of it but I feel like that transition is better for a chapter change rather than a switch in the middle of the chapter. If that makes sense. So sorry the length hasn't changed too much.**

 **I really would like to give chapter titles, but I'm not sure what to call each one.**


	5. Part 5

**Part 5**

Prince knew his small friend would not return. He had watched from beneath the floor panel as her stuff were placed in boxes. He made sure to keep quiet, already knowing the man in charge.

Henrietta had introduced Prince to her father. Sort of. Prince came to understand that the others of the ship were not as welcoming to him as she was, hence why he hid below the floors. One of these people were her dad, and he couldn't hurt him without hurting her.

She had taken care of him, feeding him delicious snacks, making a nest out of her pillows and blankets. Henrietta always babied him, overprotective and keeping a watchful eye on his actions. Prince would miss her.

Unless he could find her again.

A sharp pain pierced his head and he wailed loudly. Prince's front paws came up to clutch his black skull. His senses went haywire as a loud pitched ring came through his head. Eventually, it came to an end but he laid there in the empty room, as still as the dead.

A new sense came to him. Something he hadn't felt. The sense of his queen. She was in pain, emotionally, and distressed. At first, confusion came over him. There could not be any queen on board. By overhearing conversations, Prince came to realize that the people did not want to risk bringing one on board but they risked him. A warrior breed with capabilities of becoming a queen.

He could not tell Henrietta, mainly because he could not converse with her to explain it. Prince could feel his change, his growth mainly in his skull to form a crown. However, he whined at this, often sad when he felt the changes stretch him.

If Prince were to become a queen, he wasn't sure if he could stay with Henrietta and even if he could, his natural ability to reproduce, changing him to a neutral gender, would make it a challenge.

What if the children hurt her?

They would overrun the ship, possibly hurting her father.

There could be no way to win.

Still, the pain of his queen persisted. Without thought, he jumped into vents, crawling to the source. To the shuttles.

Upon arriving, Prince found a lot of people huddled around. Children screamed and cried as they were hugged by their parents one last time. Sorrow, confusion, and anger hung in the air like an invisible, thick fog. The signal came from the masses and he could see why his queen would be distressed. Even he would not be able to cope with this.

Staying out of sight, Prince caught sight of a struggling Henrietta. An older man tugged her beyond two doors, following several other children. Her father could easily be seen in the crowd, looking unaffected by the event before. Still, his emotions bled from him. He too grieved.

However, as soon as the shuttle launched off, the queen's presence faded. Moaning low, he curled up in the vent. He wished to seek his queen but beyond better judgment, Prince wanted Henrietta more.

With a growl, Prince crouched low and moved away. Winston had already gone back to work, grieving in silence at his computer. No matter what happened, Prince would not hurt him, but he would figure out where Henrietta went.

One way or another.

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Several cycles passed before new shuttles docked themselves. Prince, as he had been doing since Henrietta left, followed Winston. A large number of people, carrying a multitude of luggage, came to be welcomed by him. They all shook hands but nothing felt friendly about this.

A bad feeling wormed its way down his spine, causing his acidic blood to freeze, his heart to clench, and his stomach felt it just fell to the floor below him. However, no stomach fell from his body and down to the floor where the people mingled their way to the hallways. He shook the feeling, keeping up with the quiet conversation happening just below him.

"Yes, three more will be coming on board. One had escaped but never found years ago. We believe it may have died but no proof was found." Winston talked with three other men, all armed with weaponry unfamiliar to that of the guards on the ship. They usually carried sticks, batons as Henrietta informed him, or small guns.

"We'll begin the search for it immediately."

"Just make sure it's dead. The doctors have new ones to play with." With that, Winston headed down to the science lab, meeting with several people for reports. The head scientist, LuBa, a humanoid with cat-like instincts, jumped around in excitement at the prospect of new subjects.

Prince growled, remembering some of the crueler tests. Thinking about it in heavy detail, his queen may be willing to take the younglings in as well as allow Henrietta to stay.

As soon as the younglings came in, recently hatched too, the scientists began their testing. Prince wished to stop them, but he found himself finding Winston instead. Alone in his room, he stared at a picture of a young Henrietta. Grieving with the man, Prince whined at the very familiar girl.

Silently, he came down from the vent. The bed barely squeaked under him, holding his weight well. With a silent hiss, Prince pounced. Winston's eyes went wide and he let out a terrified shout at the sight of the fully grown xenomorph. However, Prince still had no intentions of hurting the man.

Keeping his inner jaw in, he grabbed the photo with his tail and shoved it in his face. Prince continued to do so, hoping that he'd come to understand.

"You aren't touching my daughter, you freak!" Winston grabbed a hold of his gun but Prince disappeared up into the vent, his plan clearly not working. A few shots followed, piercing the metal and nearly hitting him.

Soon enough all the ship would be notified. Prince would be hunted.

Prince returned to the lab, the younglings already growing at an advanced rate. Some kind of serum had been injected into them according to the doctors. They were trying to tame them. Too bad for them, Prince finally could communicate with them.

 _You'll be safe with me. Follow my lead. I'll return you to our rightful Queen._

 _Our Queen?_

One responded a drone just like the other two. However, with the serum accelerating their growth, two were in the process of becoming hunters, mutating their genes unnaturally. Prince was sure the other would follow suit.

 _She is off the ship. But we will find her and my friend._

 _Friend?_

 _Yes. She will help us. Now get up, we need to get moving._

Despite still being young, their bodies were developing into the shape of a true xeno. Prince gathered them, helping him into the vent above and they clung to his back. His new spikes provided support for them to hang on. A new use for his new features, still he refused to be a queen. He had one to find with his siblings.

They were not born of the same mother but they clung to him as the oldest in their makeshift litter. Together, they could get out.


	6. Part 6

**_Part 6_**

Prince crouched low, curled around his younger brothers and sister. To him, he could tell which was which especially since their genders became more apparent. He could mostly tell by smell, the same way he could tell his younger brothers were developing into hunters but his little sister was developing fast into a warrior.

He made sure to purr them to sleep when the occupants of the ship were up and about. They searched for them but they had yet to find them. So long as they did not move, their motion sensors would not pick them up. If they had any other way to track, they'd find them soon. For now, Prince stayed in the little hole Henrietta had made for him.

Winston had packed everything of his daughter's, except the photo Prince kept hidden in the darkness. He had no comfort of her pillows or blankets she had made his nest out of. Prince wanted to wail, to cry out every last drop of sorrow he held in his heart. Instead, he tucked his head down low, under his arm, and stayed quiet. No need to attract any attention.

Within two days' time, his siblings had grown tremendously. So much that they no longer could use the hidey hole at the same time. Prince stayed mostly in the lower decks, only coming up to Henrietta's room to rest and to the cafeteria to eat. His young hunter brother stayed by the control rooms. The other hunter, distinguished by the strange white streak on his spine, stayed near the engines. Their sister stayed by the living quarters.

Each of them was spread out almost at an equal distance, not too far away from Henrietta's room or from another sibling encase of danger. Prince made sure to teach them how most human conveniences worked so they could move much stealthier.

The search for them had ended, but if anyone were to suspect they could still be alive, it would begin all over again. Together, they had blown an engine, making it look like they had run there to hide. Many believed they died in the fire or got shot into space.

Currently, the ship still orbited, not yet able to head back on their journey. From what his siblings gathered, supplies were delayed and the engine set them back at least another week's time. Scientists wanted more specimen but Prince managed to keep them busy with several "accidents" on the lower deck labs. His brother by the engines had caused some of his own incidents, delaying their repairs even further.

As of now, Prince sat watching the scientists scurry to clean up the messes made. He swished his tail about idly pondering many things. One that weighed heavily was Henrietta and her well-being. While the Queen was a general concern, Prince had already blown it off as his emotions being out of control.

 _Brother?_ This was the female warrior.

 _You have three brothers you know._ The male from the engines.

 _I meant our eldest!_ Clearly, she had become irritated by the comment from the hiss he felt flow through his mind, she returned to address him. _When do we leave?_

 _Call me Prince, little sister. Soon enough, we will be leaving. Just a moment longer._

 _Why do you get a name?_ Lastly, his brother at the control room joined in.

 _Henrietta had given it to me._

 _Do we get names too?_ His sister chimed in, a wave of anxious excitement came from her.

Just another topic that haunted him. If Henrietta were here, what would she have named them? He couldn't even fathom a guess.

 _Yes, soon._

No one spoke. Prince left the lower decks, the night cycle beginning to cover his shadowy form. The lights dimmed, people scattering for their rooms.

Henrietta's room remained empty still. Cold and sterile. No color remained, just cold, unyielding steel. His heart wept again.

His brother from the control room, the one without the streak, came from the vent above. He stopped to stare at Prince for a moment before quietly sitting in front of him.

 _Don't cry, brother. I think it's time you go to the control room. They are distracted by the supplies and the issues with the crane._

Prince nodded and left. His brother took his place in the lower decks.

Chatter was everywhere as people ran around. Many blamed the xenos, suspicion falling on their possible deaths. Already they got another team together to search. New equipment would be used including the motion detector.

If they were to succeed, they would need to act immediately. If they didn't, they'd die.

Prince dropped down low, careful about the androids on the computers. They took no notice of him. Yet.

The consoles lit up and using what Henrietta had taught him, he navigated their systems. They always kept archives of everything or so he had been told. Files of every member aboard the ship could be found.

Henrietta's profile featured everything about her. Hair color, race, birthday, birthplace, and current residence. Originally it would have been on the ship but according to the recent update on the profiles, she had been transferred to a nearby planet. With some more research, the coordinates of the planet popped up.

 _We can make it! We are still near her location! We need to head to the pods._

 _On my way!_

 _Meet you guys there!_

 _Guys?_ The worried tone of his brother caught him off guard.

 _What's wrong?_

 _I'm stuck…_

 _Stuck?_ His brother's laughter filtered through their link. Currently, he had left the lower decks to where the shuttles sat.

 _We might not make it. Too many people…_ His sister also sounded worried. Currently, she sat by her brother, both spectating the surplus of people.

 _One thing at a time. Nobody move. Where in the lower decks are you?_

 _Right by the scientists… I'm stuck in the vents. I think they were trying to change the flow… I think they know too._

Prince crawled through the vents, heading as fast as he could. Silence reigned the COMM-link.

 _Prince?_

 _Almost there!_

 _They're coming into the vents…_

 _Should we come?_ His brother and sister called out and he felt them shift to sprint to their location.

 _Stay put! If we can't make it go and find Henrietta._ He sent a mental picture of her and the location they needed.

 _But-_

 _No buts! If two of us can make it then it's a good day! We'll catch up if we can't make it. I swear it. We all will leave one way or another._

Prince reached the area his stuck brother was in. Sadly, workers already were scurrying up to the vents.

Taking a deep breath, Prince crept forward.

 _Prepare yourself. Hell is about to break loose._

Before anyone could ask what, the unfamiliar saying was, he struck the first worker he came across.

The man let out a bloody scream, soon to be cut off by Prince's teeth cutting into his spinal cord. Everyone else became alerted as Prince jumped from his spot into the middle of the room.

Screeching, he grabbed several of them. Tossing them around, he sent several more to the floor like dominoes. Already they called for backup but his tail made quick work of their throats.

Back into the vents, he shoved his brother through.

 _Run!_

Footsteps sounded below them. Their militia had arrived.

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 **11/8/17: I am not sure what is going on, but my chapter numbers in Docs matches with the chapter numbers here (excluding the Requests note) but this chapter is missing from the site. Very weird. Not sure what happened. So sorry. I'm currently rereading, cringing at all my errors, so there just might be another proofreading going through and I am working on the extras. One particular idea, from one very amazing author, is going to take a few chapters to really work through the idea of the farm and life on the planet. Please be patient and I hope to have this all done by the end of November.**


	7. Part 7

**Part 7**

 **Okay, guys, I don't know if I had done this before but there is a certain f-word in the text. Just a warning. Some people get sensitive. I usually don't use that language in my T rated stories because it's not necessarily called for with the action I bring into these.**

 **Anyway! So sorry for it taking so long! Hope you guys enjoy this and it may be a bit short but I thought I did okay with this. Let me know what you guys think through some reviews and I'll try to get these out faster.**

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 _What's going on? What are all those sounds?_

 _Are you two okay?_

 _Do you need us?_

 _Prince?_

 _Brothers?_

 _Silence!_

No one spoke as Prince crawled through the vents, narrowly missing the bullets coming up at them. His younger brother stayed in front safely away from the metal projectiles.

 _You know the coordinates. Take a shuttle and leave to the planet down below. We will follow on another shuttle._

 _But how will we find each other?_

 _We are family, young sister. We will always find each other. Now go!_

Shoving the form in front of him, he made sure his brother was a few feet ahead before he ripped through the metal and confronted the men below. Some jumped back and screamed in sudden terror at the sign of the alien. However, the newer members of the ship did not, they advanced forward. Guns posed and ready, they looked to be changing their settings.

Not chancing it, Prince jumped forward grabbing the first man by the throat as his tail whipped around to smack away the three men to his right. Bullets assailed the man he held in the back, a failed attempt to get him by terrified, trigger-happy hands.

Disgusted by it, he threw the body towards the assailants. The group of three began to pick themselves up again, minus one. So, the group of now two began to pick themselves back up. The third man sat motionless with his head cocked at an odd angle.

 _Brother?_ Prince winced at the scared voice of his younger brother. He was motionless in the vents above him, still waiting.

 _Head for the shuttle and wait for me there._

Without another word, he followed his order and left him to deal with the militia.

"Monster!" The hostility radiated off the remaining men. It encouraged his own rage, most not even sourced from them. He wanted Henrietta again.

The sorrowful urge overwhelmed him again, something he rarely could hide from his siblings. They often comforted him with hope but as the COMM-link remained silenced and more pounding of feet came from down the corridor, he turned that into a rage. Pure, hot, boiling rage.

With a roar of his own, he jumped forward, wrestling a few to the ground until he tasted their blood between his teeth. His inner jaw shot out quickly ending another's life.

Prince grabbed the remaining two men, hurling them down the hallway to collide with the first man to come around the corner. Leaving them in shock, Prince took off into the vent, moving faster than before.

A small pain throbbed in his leg, the acid dripping onto the metal, sizzling it away. He knew it'd leave a trail and he couldn't get on the shuttle with the possibility of it creating a hole. Instead, he curled himself away in a nook, his saliva doing its work and forming the needed cast for the wound. He wrapped it around before settling down. It would take a few minutes to properly dry.

 _Are you safe, younger brother?_

 _I am. The others have left already and the humans have cleared the area for the most part. I think they're locking themselves in their rooms._

 _That makes it easier. Stay hidden. I am on my way._

 _But you are injured…_

Prince ground his teeth at his brother's easy observation. Ignoring him, he laid down in the darkness. The rage had passed, followed by small disappointment at his behavior. He _needed_ to be calm and collected, not emotional and violent.

The cast would hold and the wound would cauterize some time later. First, they needed to get off the ship. Secondly, regroup. Thirdly, find Henrietta. Screw the Queen, he wanted his little friend back and if he knew her like he did, she was probably sad, scared, and feeling even more isolated than on the ship.

Pushing himself forward, he left the nook and continued forward. Men moved below him from time to time, forcing him to stop and wait least they had motion detectors and catch him. After about an hour, he finally came upon the shuttles. People had repopulated, carefully grabbing equipment, but armed with guns at their hip.

His brother sat across the way, seen clearly by his type of eyesight.

 _Shall we?_

 _No, we must wait. Patrols are everywhere looking for us. They know I am injured. They believe I will attack out of pain, rage, and being frightened._

 _They are wrong._

 _Indeed, they are._

The two-stayed silent, watching the very things that stood in their way. A few patrols stopped by to check on them and the guards who stood stationed at the corridors.

Boxes packed on the trollies, a large group headed off. The patrol followed along with several guards. The numbers had decreased dramatically.

 _Head for the one closest to you, not the one filled with supplies but the next one._

Silently, they crept from their spots, his brother easily slipping into the shuttle undetected. Prince crept along the shadows, just behind the guard's back. Several members of the ship were discussing something in a shuttle, arguing about some settings or what not. They wouldn't see him either.

Despite all that could go wrong, Prince found himself entering the shuttle undetected. Almost undetected.

"What the fuck is that?!" Running followed suit and a few shots rang out.

Prince didn't turn, just hit the button to shut the doors and protect his brother from any damage.

 _Prince?_ His brother warily touched the wounds on his back.

 _Start the ship._ He hesitated but followed Prince's orders. As soon as they were off, he allowed him to tend to his wound. Before, it had been more of a gash than an actual penetrating wound.

 _How do I do this? I've never seen you bleed before… I always thought you were kind of invincible…_

 _I will live._ Prince purred comfortably to his brother before instructing him. He too had no idea but it sounded reasonable to remove the bullet and seal the wound.

It hurt and his brother took the longest time to remove the metal but he managed and tried to remain calm. If anything, he needed to keep his brother's head on his shoulders and that meant keeping his own.

 _What will we do when we crash?_

 _We'll find the others._ Taking his younger brother's head, he tucked it gently into his chest where he purred.

Despite their size and the fast growth of the drug given to them unwillingly, they were children at heart. Their minds inexperienced in a child's way stuck in the almost bodies of an adult. It would be strange and challenging for them to get used to it but they would manage. He would see to that.


	8. Part 8

**Part 8**

 **So, I sat down to write this chapter, feeling motivated and ready. Then, my dad comes in with Burger King and I immediately lost my motivation. After I finished my meal, I get a notification of a favorite on one of my fanfictions. I go to archive it in my email and decide to just hop on over to look at reviews. No joke, I read through the latest five or so reviews and BAM! I had motivation again! Thank you, guys! Track out is almost here for me and you should be seeing more updates then!**

 **To answer some of the reviews, I too am so nervous about the reunion! I want to see them back together and I have no idea when that's gonna happen. I really want to just put them back together but at the same time, I have some much I want to show you with this litter of aliens we have. Who knows what kind of trouble they'll find along the way and I can't resist it, I** ** _have_** **to tell you about it all. Together, we'll just have to wait patiently.**

 **Here's the story guys:**

Prince surveyed the new area. Instead of inorganic metal, they were surrounded by living trees, living creatures. No mechanic sounds could be heard, excluding the strange buzzing and zapping of the shuttle behind him.

Their landing wasn't the smoothest, but they made it out just fine and the hunk of metal wouldn't be needed anyway. Neither had understood the blinking lights or what it meant to engage the thrusters for landing. To even find a button for the thrusters would be impossible, Prince's brother's eyes were far too sensitive still to see past the lights. While his were much more developed, he could not navigate the systems well enough to properly land.

Prince turned to find his brother hopping after a small, flying creature. Beautiful in color and in design, it was no bigger than a child's palm. It continued to elude him, fluttering just out of reach.

 _Leave the poor thing alone…_

 _But it's so pretty! I just want a closer look!_

Prince sighed, taking more interest in where they were at. He had no idea where to begin their search. Their only hope was to pick a direction and go until they finally reconnected. He could only hope the other two stayed out of trouble and managed to hunt based on instinct alone.

The serum could have affected so much. They could not be able to hunt, go off instinct or could later cripple them. For all he knew, being raised on the ship would leave them incapable of taking care of themselves in a wild place he found himself in.

He could feel the creatures around him, seeing almost perfect in comparison to the ship where circuits could easily trick him. Creatures moved around him, many staying away in fear while others surged in their confidence to defend themselves. Those who felt confident had something odd about them. Deep in him, he knew to stay away.

Venomous. That's what he sensed.

 _Let's go._

Quickly, he grabbed his brother's tail and hauled him off to where mountain peaks could be seen just barely beyond the tree line. Someone would find the shuttle, no doubt, but their traces would be invisible. To track something that didn't even leave a good enough trail would be impossible, and trying to pinpoint such a specific being without any idea of what it looked like… Again, impossible.

They had to have been walking for hours without any sign of Henrietta or the missing two. Fear settled deep inside Prince's bones at the possibilities. Wrong planet. Wrong region, which didn't seem as daunting except for the fact it could take them years to explore everything. Worst of all, his little brother and sister, not even making the landing which must have been rough for them.

 _Don't worry._

His brother bumped his shoulder. With a goofy grin, his tail whipped around to bop Prince on the head.

 _I'm not…_

 _I can feel your fear and worry. I'm sure we'll find them!_

 _How can you be so sure?_

Prince wanted to believe his brother's words, of course. Doubt still lingered and if it didn't, he would question how much he truly cared for them. He did care, a lot. Too much it felt at times.

Stopping within the tangles of branches and leaves strangely shaped like diamonds, he looked to his younger brother who looked around them still in wonder.

 _Sister is smart so Brother will be okay._

 _Smarter than you, eh?_

 _No!_

Flicking his tail in aggravation, he turned to look at him. A small hiss of annoyance came from him, to which Prince responded by snapping his inner jaws out at him. Of course, he had only been teasing his brother, furthering the younger male's irritation.

 _So, smarter than your brother but not as smart as you?_

 _Yea!_

Prince just laughed, jumping away and continuing their journey. His brother followed along, wondering exactly what Prince thought was funny. He never received an answer, of course.

It reminded Prince of a few moments back on the ship, specifically just one. Sister had just returned from her first solo trip to get food. They had yet to leave Henrietta's room permanently and split off across the ship.

The bag of food hanged from her mouth, mostly containing nutrient filled meats and some veggies. After checking to make sure she hadn't tried to sneak a few sweets, something that made their stomachs burn and cramp in pain, he let them split it among themselves. He could scavenge for himself at any time he needed to. Despite that, she had brought him back a fair share that they insisted he have.

 _You could have been faster, ya know?_

Prince knew there would a fight and attention would be drawn to the room. Still, he couldn't help but stand back and watch as they lashed out at each other. Their tails and claws were sharp and ready to kill. No scratch had ever landed on any one of them. It still surprised him how they could fight but not ever harm one another.

 _Brothers?_

Coming to a screeching halt, claw marks digging deep into the skin of the tree he landed in. His brother came to sit beside him, waiting for his answer.

 _Sister?_

A relieved cry of joy passed through them both, but it felt faded. Dread passed through him at the thought of what it meant.

 _Is Brother with you?_

 _Yes. And you?_

 _We are both alive and well._

This time his brother spoke through the link. Beside him, he heard his brother give a sigh that sounded more like a pleased hiss.

 _Why do you sound so far away? Like in some tunnel?_

 _They are too far away. The link is barely there._

Silence came after Prince's answer, no one was sure how to react. If anything, they held their breaths, waiting for a solution of sorts.

 _Stay put. We will come to you._

Their long-distance link severed and it was just Prince and his brother once more in the tree. He could feel the faintness of their presence and turned to follow it.

 _Brother?_

Something odd sounded in his brother's voice. Prince turned to find him still sitting in the tree, head tucked down low.

 _Come. No need to worry, right?_

Prince's tail shot out to bop his brother's head which succeeded in making him look up. With his attention back, he leaped from the branch off to another. The trees soon thinned, making them run along the ground.

At points, they raced, playfully pushing each other and rough playing. The faint signal of their siblings grew only slightly stronger throughout the day. Prince stayed as playful as possible, trying to keep his brother positive and happy. It didn't take much distraction with the foreignness of the planet all around them to keep him fascinated.

 _Prince? I'm hungry. You know how to hunt, right?_

 _First time for everything, right?_

Worry passed from his brother to him, making him laugh. He had only known the life in the ship, same as them. Still, his instincts did not fail him as he climbed a nearby tree to scout. His brother followed, trying to observe and copy Prince.

 _Do you see them? The group in the meadow?_

 _Yeah._

 _That's a herd. We want the small one a little too far from the group._

Prince's brother took a moment to spot their target. His eyes, however, wandered off to where a much more appealing buck stood.

 _What about the large one? Wouldn't that have more meat?_

 _We don't need that one and we don't have time to go for one more with the group and most likely their leader. He'll be fast._

His brother nodded, following as he crouched to chase. Prince waited, for only a moment, a thrill pushing him to hurry. Without much thought, he shot himself from the edge of the branch.

The animals below, previously unaware of his presence, scurried to escape. His target, the small wanderer, took off as well. Prince, however, predicted his plan of escape by the stream.

Prince grabbed onto the bark of the tree he first came across. His brother followed above, a few steps ahead of him. He knew he was observing him and exactly what he was doing. His idea wasn't the best but by using the tree, he propelled himself forward enough to grapple onto the hind of the prey.

From above, his brother came to snap the neck, ending the struggle.

They didn't say anything, just tore into the flesh to find what they needed. Staying away from organs which appealed less to them, they ate into the thighs. It had the most meat and Prince's brother found it just as juicy, if not more so that what he expected.

 _Good?_

 _Very._

Prince smiled at that, sitting back to give his large, appetite sibling his share. Gladly, he took it, never quite getting enough food on the ship out of the fear of getting caught.

They left the carcass behind, scavengers inbound to pick at the remains. Back on track, night fell long before they regained contact with their siblings. They too had hunted successfully, thankfully not starving and finding a water source to feed off from.

Prince led his brother to the trees for rest, out of sight of any travelers should they come to the remote location. The next morning, Prince was mighty thankful he had.

His brother woke first, being the nearest to the sudden arrival of hikers moving to the mountains. While they had been heading straight north, Prince needed to head a little more north-west to follow the link.

Generally, going around a group of hikers wouldn't be a problem. To his luck, these hikers pitched camp, only one tree over where it was a bit clearer for their tents.

 _Do we kill them?_

 _No!_

His answer came out a be a bit harsher than he intended. Prince knew it probably wouldn't matter if they did or didn't, yet a part of him remembered Henrietta. He couldn't bring himself to raise a malevolent hand against the hikers who had done nothing to them. Yet. If they tried to harm his young brother, he wouldn't think twice.

 _Then what do we do?_

 _Go around them._

Leading his brother, Prince crawled along the tree limbs until he laid posed above them. He watched, only for a moment, before he continued onward. Once ahead of them, they returned to the ground.

 _That went smoother than expected…_

 _What did you expect?_

 _Everything that could go wrong to go wrong…_

Prince's brother hissed at him for his pessimism.

 _You're not helping…_

Prince sighed, already knowing that. He knew his brother's awe turned to fear by the amount of unknown they found surrounding them. He could cope a lot better under the pressure, he felt used to it but his brother was not.

 _Don't worry. We'll get through. You're the one who told me we were going to find them._

 _I felt confident then!_

 _Then feel confident in me._

He didn't answer for a moment, causing Prince to stop to look back at him. His brother came to sit beside him, his head hung slightly low.

 _I wanna go back to the ship…_

 _Why?_

Prince felt his brother's hesitancy to answer. At this point, he was pretty sure he knew why but nothing would hurt for his brother to say it out loud.

 _I knew it. I don't know anything here and we're separated from the others. I don't know where this Queen is and maybe I won't even like her. I want to meet Henrietta though because she's important to you and sounds very nice. I'm just scared._

Purring gently, Prince nuzzled his face against his brother's. They sat for a moment, sharing, what they would consider, a hug. It didn't last for long since the sounds of the nearby hikers could be heard coming up behind them, but it gave courage back to the younger xeno.

 _We don't have to meet the Queen. But, I need to find Henrietta and I'm more than just sure, she'll love you guys just as equally._

He smiled at that, feeling a lot better than before. In turn, Prince smiled as well, because his siblings did matter and to let them fall into despair would be a failure on his part. He needed to keep them alive and well.

Together, the duo set back off again, this time racing and playfully tackling each other. The hikers had been left ways behind.

The plateaus loomed closer as the day came to pass and under the night sky, they finally reached its base. More hikers had been spotted, all coming to climb the plateaus. Carefully, they took an offbeat path, straying far from where they could accidentally encounter anyone.

Since the campers by the tree back in the woods, they had not come remotely close to another hiker group. Prince felt extremely lucky, unsure of what good their actions would be if they were to come into contact.

About half a day's climb, they found a neat cave system, able to get them to the over the side. It didn't look to be a place for visitors to come but they still took caution. If one thing they both knew for sure, humans could be highly unpredictable. Their time spent on the ship proved that much.

 _Are we getting closer to them?_

 _Yes, can you feel the pull of the link?_

 _Yeah,_ _but we haven't spoken in a while._

Prince knew he was right. The lack of communication should worry him, but he felt the need _not_ to worry. If that made any sense at all. Something in him compelled him to believe they were okay. His brother and sister were together and most likely away from any human activities. They had found a water source, something a little scarce on their end, and had been hunting with good success.

 _Try to contact them, then._

 _How? Before it was so easy like they were always there. It doesn't feel like that anymore._

Prince laid down on the cool rock, curling up like a big cat. His brother mimicked him, curling his tail and hands under his chin like a makeshift pillow.

 _Just stretch out your mind to them, like stretching out your neck._

Nothing happened, though he could feel the effort his brother was putting in. Their connection was stronger now, so hopefully, it would have been easier on him. Still, after ten minutes of trying, Prince expected nothing to happen.

The first time he had done it, was to find and check on Henrietta. He had left to go to the cafeteria for food and checked to make sure she hadn't woken up. It had been difficult but after a while, he managed, especially since she stayed in the same spot. He figured if he could do it when she was still, he could do it while she went off to school. Again, Henrietta stayed in a general location but not the same spot so it felt a little different.

Prince practiced for hours, always following the energy put off by her mind. The more he thought about it, the stranger it became. He could know where people were by the energy they gave off through movement and sound but never could track them by energy alone.

Prince still couldn't speak to Henrietta the way he could with his siblings but he could feel the bases of her mental energy just like he could with them. He could track her location and, though it wasn't accurate all the time, read her emotions.

 _Brothers? Is that you?_

 _I finally made the connection!_

The link wavered for a moment while his brother jumped from his spot in glee.

 _What's going on?_

His sister must have just woken up from sleep, it still fogged her mind.

 _It's_ _brother!_

 _Hey, there are two of us over here…_

 _Sorry, glad to hear you too, Prince._

Prince rolled his eyes, settling back down to sleep. His siblings talked, excited chatter filling his brain. How he managed to fall asleep, he'd never know, but when he woke again, his younger brother laid sprawled out next to him. The early rays of the sun barely lit the cave they settled in.

From then on, there would be small light until they reached the other side. It sounded pretty good to him since the light wasn't exactly his friend in any case.

Moving to his sleeping sibling, he shook his shoulder to wake him. It took his brother a while to come to and be ready to move out, but they headed into the tunnels, leaving a still rising sun behind.

No creatures scurried here in the long winding tunnels that dipped and rose randomly. Spikes came from ceiling and floor, sometimes filling the room to where they had to climb through them like vines to cross. Every once and awhile a rumble would occur, rocks chipping off their perch to crash nearby, causing more things to rumble and break apart.

When the rumbles didn't stop, they broke off into a run. They jumped over fallen rocks, dodging falling objects and skidding around corners to avoid catastrophe. Prince kept his brother next to his side, grabbing him from time to time with his tail to make sure he kept up.

A small light poured from ahead of them. Prince had once thought that their journey may have taken a day or two, but with the sudden rush of survival, it severely cut their journey time short. They broke out of the crumbling cave tunnels and onto steep terrain to which they both tumbled.

Dry sand followed them down until vegetation undertook their feet. Another plateau's shadow covered them, blocking out the brutality of the sun and allowing the vegetation to grow under 23-hour shade. The sun only came out to shine for three hours a day.

Dirt replaced the sand under their claws and branches soon scratched at their skin. Soil filled underneath their claws and some even entered their mouths.

Prince managed to keep himself upright on the downfall, grabbing his brother by his tail to keep him nearby. Eventually, he grappled onto a tree's trunk to stop his fall. If he had not grabbed his brother soon, he would have continued his trek down the slope.

 _Prince?!_

 _Grab a hold of the dirt, momentum is keeping us going._

Once he had stabilized himself, Prince let go and eased off the tree which suffered from his tight grip as a syrup came pouring out to stick in his claws. For now, he ignored it. He didn't make a comment, just pushed his brother forward and continued down the hill.

Leaves, twigs, and other earthy things stuck to him as they made their way down. Without a word, he found the nearest river to clean himself. His brother made himself comfortable on a rock, playing with the water with his tail.

Their connection with their siblings had nearly doubled since they stopped. It was almost enough to pinpoint their exact location. They were still about a mile or so off but that's not what had concerned him. A new connection pulled at him.

For the first time in an entire month, he felt Henrietta again but with her came the Queen. With that, came his ultimate decision. He felt confused at which to follow. They looked to be in the same direction, so perhaps he could see both. At least, get his siblings to the Queen for protection.

Then, Prince looked over at his brother idly waiting for him. Somehow, he felt finding the Queen wouldn't please his younger ones. They wouldn't want him to leave anyway, but he couldn't possibly mingle Henrietta and the Queen. He knew who took priority.

Jumping out of the water and onto the rock above, he shook himself of the droplets.

 _Let's go. No need to drag this out any more than need be._

 _Siblings and then Henrietta._

Looking at him, Prince stared long and hard, catching the glimpses of his brother's mind. The very things that told him he had no interest in leaving Prince or wanting to meet a Queen who he still felt no connection for.

For now, he could only hope the others felt the same.

 **.**

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 **.**

 **Nice and long! I'm quite proud of this chapter but I haven't proofread (11/8: lies it's been proofread by now!) it or anything so excuse all the mistakes I probably made. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed and please review! It gives me the courage to continue.**

 **11/8: I like to keep my original Author's notes at the end of my chapters, so that's why you may see a lot of dates pop up either at the beginning or end of chapters. I just wanted to restate that this planet, at least the large region they are in, has plateaus. I originally put mountains, but this planet's life is found in the valleys between the plateaus. They are large, very dry structures that may have sediment build up on the sides due to storms. I just want to make sure the landscape was clear.**


	9. Part 9

**Part 9**

 _Are we there yet?_

 _Ask me one more time and I'm gonna tie you to that damn tree and leave you behind._

That shut him up. Prince had been fighting to keep some patience with his younger sibling and he understood the excitement and impatience he felt. Still, the need to ask the same question several times over within a short span was absolute insanity. Literally.

 _Tell me about Henrietta._

 _No._

 _Why not?_

The whine that filled his head made him cringe. His brother leaped in front of him, stopping their journey.

 _Because you can meet her and get to know her that way._

Again, he shut up. Prince brushed by him, using his tail to grab him by the head and drag him along.

His younger brother hissed, digging his claws into the dirt to stop Prince from dragging him around. Waiting for the right moment, Prince suddenly let his brother go. He fell backward into the dirt and was left behind.

Prince hurriedly jumped into the branches, full sprinting. His brother took too long to regain himself and fell behind. Prince had to stop and let him catch up, just in case he couldn't manage to.

 _Don't do that again!_

Prince only laughed, bumping shoulders with his brother.

 _Why not?_

 _Cause..._

Focusing, he could feel the fear. The same that gripped him at times. The loneliness. The foreignness. The hopelessness. His brother reeked of it, especially then.

 _Come on. We got our siblings to find._

That cheered him up and together they set out. Another day passed, the signal felt so close they could practically smell the presence of the others. Prince, while more reserved, felt the same relief and happiness as his younger brother, who could barely keep himself under control.

When the dark fell, they nestled in the trees. It had only been almost a week if Prince remembered his days correctly. The shuttle had been left long behind, its connection to the ship and the memory of it already gone.

Still, a bad feeling persisted inside him. Prince curled his younger brother up next to him, almost mothering him a bit too much. Neither complained about his actions, feeling the support through them and appreciating it even more.

Sunrise came too soon, Prince had barely slept and it showed in how slow and droopy he walked. His brother kept calm, no longer jumping around but keeping protectively by his side.

A few times, their siblings talked to them, excited to finally see them again. Hopefully, all were well and uninjured to which each side claimed to be.

 _Prince?_

His younger sister gently stroked his mind, like a kitty pawing at a new ball of yarn. Just testing the waters.

 _He's very tired right now._

 _What happened?_

His brother spoke for him, assuring the others that Prince hadn't slept very well the night before. They calmed a little bit, giving their sympathy and regards to his fatigues.

 _Perhaps we could meet in the middle now?_

His sister spoke, already set out towards them.

 _Yes, that should be fine now._

Prince's voice startled the rest, but they eagerly took his word. His siblings signal began to close in at an alarming rate. Their energy must have been over spilling and to finally freely run without worry of straying too far must have been nice.

Prince settled against a tree, his brother pacing a few feet away, keeping watch over their surroundings.

 _Just sleep. You kept getting on to me about conserving energy and you didn't even do it yourself!_

His brother huffed at him, kicking some dirt his way to show his disapproval. Prince just wiped the particles away before resting his head down on the muddy ground. Parts of the area remained wet from a recent storm but others, mainly those unshaded, dried up quickly.

 _Sleep well, brother._

He did. By the time he awoke, his siblings had gathered around him, whispering among themselves. Prince only managed to grasp a few words such as Prince, Henrietta, Queen, and feelings.

Standing with extreme caution, Prince came to tower over them. They may be practically full grown, but he had the benefits of his partial transformation. He hissed in displeasure at some of the things he heard, especially Henrietta's name.

 _It's_ _nothing…_

 _Yeah, what he said._

 _You should go back to sleep, Prince._

All three looked up, trying to feign innocence. None of it flew with him as he began to work his way into their mind. They tried to keep him off and shield their secrets. Still, as a growing Queen, though the shift has slowed to a stop, his mental strength overcame their own.

In general, they spoke of Henrietta, his younger brother declaring his thoughts to the rest of wanting to meet her. He also informed them of Prince's possible decision which they immediately disagreed with. They had no interest in leaving their eldest of their litter. Plus, they took his side in that the Queen held no interest especially since they had no actual connection like Prince had.

 _This is what you wanted to hide?_

 _Don't be mad!_

His brother, the one with a white streak who had crashed with him, had spoken. He jumped from his spot, disapproval and a defensive smell coming from him.

 _I'm not._

Everyone suddenly relaxed, his siblings no longer looking so suspiciously tense.

 _Why hide this from me?_

 _I thought you didn't want me to tell or anything…_

Looking somewhat like timid children, they kept their heads slightly lowered and their tails wrapped around their hind legs. Prince sighed, feeling like those fathers who tried hard to be strict but caved last minute. Henrietta had played tons of television shows on her off days and he soaked in those moments.

 _What do you guys want?_

His sister stood, coming forward to nuzzle his neck in an affectionate but submissive way. He rested his own head on her own, accepting the gesture.

 _I want to stay with you and Henrietta._

 _Me too!_

The other two came to curl around his legs, also acting submissive but purring their own affections.

 _There's no need for this._

Prince laid down with them, nuzzling and purring his love to all three. He pushed them back to their feet, taking the lead, as he should. They pressed forward, knowing Prince could feel her out.


	10. Part 10

**Part 10**

 _Let's hunt!_

Racing ahead, Prince's brothers leaped from the ground to the trees, scouting for the nearest prey. A strong wind carried many scents their way, but instinctively they searched through them until they came across one they agreed on. The herd they had picked only stood off the intended course. Perfect.

His sister stood beside him, guarding him much like a royal guard would its Queen. Her head stayed still, looking in an all-around circle for anything that posed a threat. Prince stayed with her, not questioning her behavior. She flanked him when he moved forward to follow the hunters. He didn't intervene as they came upon the herd. Instead, he watched patiently and stayed out of the way of their hunt.

Despite not seeing each other for an entire week and this being their first time hunting together, they worked surprisingly well. Then again, they were brothers by blood. Naturally, they moved in sync as if they had never had a moment apart. It helped they could feel each other's mind and with it, their intentions.

 _Good hunting._

Prince came to stand behind them, observing the dead animal before him. The kill came out extremely clean, not a big mess or chase as an aftermath. The pitiful thing had no idea what waited for it just beyond its sights. Its own kind had fled, everyone for themselves. A natural occurrence within the animal kingdom, universally, of course.

 _Those who killed, get first dibs._

Greedily, the two males dug in. Not soon after, their sister joined. Prince waited until they had their fill before he took a fair share of the prize.

With his family filled and happy, they set forth again. Prince took the lead, leading his little pack through the tree lines. They stayed out of view from any bystander despite their massive size and black skin.

They broke into another field clearing where his brothers tussled around. His sister took the time to take a break and stretch under the sun. It wasn't too hot outside, in fact, a chill filled the air. The beating sun is what kept such warm feeling weather.

Prince stayed above the rest, keeping watch for any new dangers. His tail flickered back and forth in a quick, snappy motion. A common thing for him to do when in deep thought, something he constantly looked to be in since they landed on the planet.

 _Ow! That hurt!_

Prince snapped out of his head, looking for his brothers who were in a large heap in the middle of the clearing. His sister laid just below a few trees away, ignoring the idiots.

 _Yeah, that's what you get for tripping me!_

 _You're gonna get it!_

With a growl, they pounced on each other. Howls, whines, growls, and yelps could be heard from the jumbling black mess. Prince looked back to where his sister laid, napping. She didn't seem to mind their bickering and relaxed as if used to it.

He jumped down from his perch to sit by her side. She lazily lifted her head only to settled back into the grass, not worried by his sudden appearance. The other two continued to fight, tails whipping towards the other only to be blocked by a claw or miss to hit the dirt below. When they were finished, Prince was sure the ground would be torn to shreds.

Following his younger sister's lead, he headed back into the tree, away from the sun (at least the limited time it had to shine), where he could nap. The sun had begun to set when they continued their journey. Prince lead them through a swampy area, the toxins wafting into the air like geysers, hot and in sudden explosions. Still, they ventured in, careful of where they walked.

The swampy place had been no more than a mile, a blotch on the beautiful, forest landscape. It made their skin crawl as they passed through the misty fumes that coated the floor and relief overcame them as they made it to the other side.

By now, more people had been spotted. Some worked in a small building by the place, stepping out in suits with baskets filled with glassware. Researchers. Scientists.

However, Prince, after a few moments of observation, easily could tell that these people were very much different from those on the ship. They observed and tested the environment. For what? He had no answer but they looked happy, yet serious in their work.

His siblings had taken no notice of the people, brushing past him quickly flee the area. He didn't blame them, couldn't blame them, and followed shortly behind.

As soon as they reached the end, they burst forward, dancing around in the free air.

 _Settle down, you three._

 _But it stank!_

His sister whined in his head, curling her tail around her legs in distaste. Her brothers equally expressed their own distaste by the icky sounds they made.

One of his brothers stepped forward, he had no streak on his head, projecting his thoughts.

 _How much farther?_

 _A day at most._

Excitement coursed through them at the thought. They jumped to attention, nuzzling him forward to continue.

 _Alright, alright. I'm going. I'm going._

Their childish eagerness made him smile. It brought a light, fluttering feeling in his chest. That spark of hope had grown intensely to a small flame as they dance around him, ready to meet his lost friend. Then again, he was the lost the one; blind but not alone. So long as he had hope and his little litter to follow him, he'd be happy for the rest of his days.


	11. Part 11

**Part 11**

Henrietta sat at the kitchen table, swinging her legs and playing with her noodles. An autumn shower had finally settled into a drizzle, still hiding the sunrise from those awake early.

The old man snored just a floor above her, providing a strange rhythm along with the creakiness of the house and the wind that blew against the window panes. Mr. Hemsing had made sure to make her as comfortable as possible in her new home. Her room, just on the other side of the hallway from his own, had been decorated with purple and blue hues. It matched the weather's common mood.

Only once a week, the sun shows its face to the dainty little town, only an hour from the bustling city that never seemed to care about anything else but itself. Henrietta liked the quiet trees that surrounded her new town. The buzzing engines could never replace the gentle breezes that carried leaves or the sounds of birds singing. She hadn't seen a bird but she knew that it would be nothing like what she had been shown in science class. They studied animals, unique and not so unique, from Earth and few popular planets. She hoped to take a picture of the few that liked to be hidden in the trees one day.

The snoring came to a sudden stop upstairs. Like the rest of the house, she held her breath, hoping for just a few more minutes of complete isolation. Luckily, he started up once again and the house creaked out a sigh.

Henrietta pushed away her breakfast soup. Her appetite hadn't been right since they arrived but she tried to eat to please Mr. Hemsing. He was kind enough to worry about her, yet provide her space.

Taking her bowl to the sink, she looked towards the closed off sky. Prince had to still be on the ship, probably terrified or angry at her departure. Guilt weighed heavy on her shoulders, she never even got to say goodbye. Slamming down her bowl, she leaned against the counter for only a moment as she leashed her emotions. Henrietta pushed herself off and back upstairs for a shower.

When she reemerged from the steamed bathroom, Mr. Hemsing sat at the table with a bowl of cereal. He greeted her with a warm smile and humor-filled his eyes to see the towel wrapped around her head.

"Not a word." She cut him off before he could make a comment about the towel.

"What?" Innocently, he cocked his head as if confused but there was no mistaking the humorous glint that coated his eyes.

"Oh, nothing." She huffed at him, and like the child, she wished she was, stuck her tongue out at him.

"Still thinking of your friend?" He sat back in his chair, his old eyes piercing her own.

"Yes, sir." He smiled at that and motioned her over so he could hug her.

"Oh, deary, you don't have to be so formal with me. I'd like to think I'm your new, weary, old uncle."

"Well… you are old…" Mr. Hemsing laughed at that, patting her forearm before returning to his food.

"I think, I'm going to take a small walk." Henrietta moved around him to leave her towel on the counter and grab the camera off a nearby end table.

"Be careful!" Mr. Hemsing called out before she slipped outside. The cool winds spread goosebumps all over her skin. The rain continued to fall outside, hitting her skin like small shards of glass as she ran into the woods. Several birds, nested for safety inside the branches took flight but she paid them no mind.

Running in deeper, she eventually took cover under a large tree, its branches spread out far and wide like an umbrella. Tendrils of leaves hung low to the ground and ivy spread up its trunk. Despite the wet bark, she climbed her way up, dirtying her clothes and the mud smeared across her face. Henrietta kept her camera as clean as possible, using the cleanest parts of her shirt to wipe the lens clean.

She settled among the branches, getting comfy to snap pictures. It would be most likely that she spent the rest of the day in the same spot and would be sore for the rest of the week.

A few birds had fluttered by, their blurred colors standing out against the gray skies and chestnut brown and green that coated the forest. Her photos never managed to catch the birds, ever. Still, she had tried and despite the in-depth research, she never could tell what species they were.

By the late afternoon, she grew tired of her failures and headed back to the house. It continued to drizzle icy rain that sent chills down her spine. Reaching the place, she enjoyed calling home, Henrietta came to a sudden stop. A new chill ran down her spine as she looked back into the woods. Uncomfortable, Henrietta made her way quickly inside and locked the door behind her. With small hesitation, she closed the curtains, no longer wanting to look at the woods that loomed at her.

"You okay?" Jumping, Henrietta twirled around to face her new, weary, old uncle.

"Oh yeah. Just cold out." She gave a smile, stashing away her camera on the counter.

"Next time take a jacket." When his eyes found her bare and muddy feet, he gave a glower her way. "And _shoes_."

Grinning sheepishly, Henrietta scooted away and ran up the stairs. Mr. Hemsing glared at her back, burning holes, the entire time. She washed her feet off in the bathroom before snuggling under her covers back in her room to get warm.

Birds chirped just outside her window for a few minutes before it all became silent. The wind even stopped it's quite whispering and the house stopped moaning. Everything became very silent. Eerily so.

Trying to battle off the chills running down her spine, Henrietta got up to check outside. The forest stood still, like statues… like an artist had designed a fake forest for those who would never have the chance to walk through a real one.

"No… what am I thinking? I'm so weird…" Henrietta rubbed her eyes, feeling tired. "I need my vitamins…"

Returning down below, she got her vitamins and joined her guardian on the couch for some television. She pushed the forest from her mind and ignored the chills down her spine.

There was nothing out there.

 _Nothing coming for me. I'm safe._


	12. Part 12

**Part 12**

Mr. Hemsing had been gone by the time Henrietta woke. Without him, she nearly missed the bus for school. He had left a note, alleviating her worry for him which she read on the bus.

He had only left early for an early pick up to care for the animals in the back. Hopefully, he'd be waiting for her when she got back.

Henrietta sat alone on the bus, swinging her legs as she read a small book that would help her adjust to the culture. She had been reading it ever since she began school, just a week after arriving on the planet.

It had been territory claimed by the UNE or United Nations of Earth. Any country on Earth had access to land here but any unearthly humanoids had limited access due to the scientific purposes of the planet.

However, each planet had a set of laws and basic cultural aspects that everyone knew, but the details were uniquely theirs with the mixing of a variety of cultures occurring. Therefore, Henrietta had been graciously provided a book to educate herself on the cultural and social customs to avoid a repeat of her first week at school.

Thankfully, the teachers understood the situation at hand with the few children that had landed in their classrooms, herself included. Many know that ships celebrate and practice the basic customs of Earth such as Union Day, the day where the UNE had finally formed and space was to be shared between all the planets equally, without discrimination. Freighters had more of a leniency and were considered "moving planets" because of their uniquely developed culture and family customs (as referred to as clan ships for the same reasons). Henrietta's ship was more focused on science and despite its size nearly matching a freighter's size, they did not function like one.

These books had been distributed and the students informed of the "lack" of cultural education the new kids had. They laughed at that, poked fun, but nothing had been unnecessarily mean. Henrietta stuck closer to the familiar faces and despite not really talking or playing with them, off or on the ship, they allowed her to sit with them contently.

Since the three months she had been there, Henriette found herself smiling a bit more and interacting with fellow students. They had grown to overlook her improperness… eventually.

Mr. Hemsing had even comforted her with wise words that she really didn't want to hear.

"You know, sometimes, even adults, treat different things badly. You are different to the kids and so they poke fun until you change. Its human nature to get rid of the differences in the group, even some animals eat their own young if you spray them with a different scent. Humans are no different in the end. You'll be okay. Just show them your strength and they will back down." He had patted her shoulder and walked her to the school bus for her third day of school. "Go get them, kiddo." He gave her a big grin and waved bye as she boarded.

Those words made her think about Prince and the labs she had seen as a child. She didn't remember them very well but it looked cold and not a very nice place to stay. Perhaps that was human nature in itself. Her friend was very much different but they didn't want him to change. They had locked him in to study him and use him. The scientist had only explained the potential research value, new medicines, ways to live, and human advancements. It sounded much like they were using him despite their claims of their kind being as intelligent and consciously aware of the environment as humans were. More so, some claimed.

Mr. Hemsing had not been waiting for her at her stop. She warily left the safety of the bus, waving goodbye to the driver and a few of her friends who had called out their goodbyes from the back seats.

The old man didn't look to have come home at all and no new shipment of whatever could be seen by the barn.

Storing her stuff in her room, she headed to the animals to let them graze comfortably in the fenced area and clean the pen and stall areas. It had to be several hours and clouds blocked the sunshine, never alerting to coming at night.

The watched and creepy feelings from before hadn't returned and so, Henrietta spent her time with her book outside to keep an eye on their animals. She kept a little notepad nearby, writing down a few notes and questions to ask later.

Time passed and no sign of Mr. Hemsing. The animals were put safely up for the night and Henrietta attempted to call him or contact any who would have seen him. No one had seen him or even heard of the shipment he had to pick up.

The truck was not in the garage, proving he had indeed left and his letter _was_ his handwriting…

After locking up the house, Henrietta sat on the back of the upper deck where the lamps lit the entire backyard. Shadows of the animals in their inside pens, danced in the lighting, making her eye jump up every once and awhile.

No predators looked to be out yet. Henrietta kept her book in her lap, barely reading as she focused on listening for anything to come at her.

Pursing her lips, she headed back inside to eat something for supper and try a few more people in town for Mr. Hemsing. No one had even seen his truck.

"Thank you. I'm sure he's just caught up in something." Henrietta hung up with a sigh.

As she placed the phone back onto its in-wall charger, the lights from outside cut off, leaving most of the house in total blackness. Henrietta could barely see anything with the small lamp on in the next room.

She stumbled for the light switch on the wall when a large _something_ hit the glass sliding doors. Henrietta shrieked in fright at the sound before she fell onto her bum. Without a second thought, she crawled her way under the bar where she opened a compartment. A loaded rifle awaited her, already equipped with a flashlight.

Mr. Hemsing had taught her well to defend herself with any hidden weapon in the house. The rifle had been the less ideal weapon of choice since she barely could contain the kick from it, but if she hit her target, the kick wouldn't matter too much.

Creeping towards the back doors, Henrietta toed it open before turning on her flashlight and scanning the area. Something rustled in the woods and with a panic, Mr. Hemsing warned against, she haphazardly turned the flashlight back and forth.

A black shadow moved in her rush and with a cry of fear, she shot off the gun. Screeches could be heard along with a snarl. The sounds fled to the return of the silence and Henrietta shakily scanned the area.

She sat on the deck, her back against house's wall. A stillness surrounded the area, even the animals kept a low profile in their pens.

Purring filled the area and a swishing could be heard just in front of her. Gulping down her fears, she steadied the gun against her shoulder and lifted light to the creature.

Black and taller than any man she knew of, her light slowly gave form to the creature in front of her. It purred and slowly approached, crawling along the ground. When Henrietta cocked her gun, taking aiming, the creature came to an immediate stop.

In the most human-like manner, it slowly raised itself up to sit on its haunches and brought its forelegs up in a surrender pose. Henrietta blinked at the sight before her.

The backyard lights flipped on and she covered her eyes from the sudden flash of bright lights. Eyes adjusting, she made out four figures in total. The largest among them, the one "surrendering", had spikes running down its back. The other three stayed a good hundred feet away.

With the light now flooding the area, Henrietta could see it much more clearly. The smooth, black, eyeless head all the way to the razor-sharp tail that lay still on the ground. Its spikes along its back and the enormous size is what caught her attention the most.

"Prince?" Only one creature could have such a unique body structure, especially compared to the ones behind him. Only one would ever respond to the name with a powerful purr of confirmation.

Slowly, he stood on all fours and moved to sit before her. Henrietta dropped her gun to the floor before launching herself into his chest where he gladly embraced her.

His siblings behind him came to semicircle them and watch the display.

"I'm so sorry I shot at you! I couldn't even see!" Her arms awkwardly grasped his neck to hug him.

 _Can't she_ _see in the dark?_

Prince mentally chuckled at his young brother's question. _No, they are very limited and need technology to help them._

 _So… she didn't mean to shoot at me?_ His young sister looked like she had been punched in the gut to find Prince's friend had shot at her.

 _You scared her and she couldn't tell it was me you were with. It's all good. She is still young, like you. She simply panicked._

Henrietta released him and wiped the tears from her eyes. Nervously, she tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear and looked towards the others.

"Who are they, Prince?"

He nudged her forward until she stood properly before them. Prince stood behind her, his stomach just barely touching the back of her head with their closeness.

"How can you tell the difference between them?" Prince mentally chuckled again before reaching out and writing letters in the sand. His siblings couldn't read or write like he could but Henrietta understood perfectly.

"So, you have two brothers?" She pointed to the two flanking their warrior sister. "And one sister?" Prince nodded to confirm.

"What are their names?"

 _I thought she was giving us our names._ His brother with streak spoke, confused by her question.

 _Patience, idiot! It's not like she can communicate the same way!_ His sister slapped him up the head with her tail. He snarled in response.

Prince ignored them, trying to explain to Henrietta.

"So, they don't have names? Why don't they have names?" After a few more minutes of confusion, Henrietta's eyes brightened. "You want me to give them names like I named you?"

At their joyous shouts, Henrietta laughed, feeling slightly stupid at taking so long to figure it out.

"Well…" She pointed to Prince's brother without the streak, who immediately straightened to attention. "How about Rogue?"

 _What does Rogue mean?_

 _I'm not sure but I hear it's cool according to the children on the ship._

Taking it as a good sign, Rogue pranced around, happy to be called something cool.

"You can be Sheelia," Henrietta pointed to his sister but before she could ask questions of her own name, Henrietta continued with an explanation, "she was an awesome pirate that single-handedly fought off fleets to continue pirating."

 _Ha! I got named after "an awesome pirate"!_

 _I wanna name too!_ The very last of his siblings came bouncing up, whining.

"You got a cool streak on your head, ya know. I think you should be named Comet cause your streak kind of looks like one." She reached up, tracing it lightly with her finger. Comet purred in delight, his spine perking up at the attention.

 _To formally introduce everyone. Sheelia, Rogue, and Comet, meet my dearest friend, Henrietta._ They pressed their heads to her chest in a form of greeting, which she gladly accepted by attempting to hug them all at once.

At the sound of a truck, all five of them jumped to attention. Excitement coursed through her veins as she bolted back inside.

"Uncle Hemsing! Uncle Hemsing!" Throwing open the garage door, she greeted him with a bear hug.

"Oh! What a surprise!" Mr. Hemsing laughed at the unexpected greeting.

"I was so worried! I thought something had happened to you!" He patted her head, calming her fears before leading her inside.

"I left you a message, a voicemail on the phone. Did you not get it?" Henrietta looked up at him, confused.

She headed straight to the phone to see a blinking red light. He had indeed left a voicemail just before she got home from school.

"I guess I didn't think about checking the messages when I got home." She scratched her head sheepishly.

"Uh, well. My package isn't coming in until tomorrow it seems. I was waiting most of the day for it." Mr. Hemsing shrugged off his jacket to hang in the coat closet by the front door.

"Oh… that's too bad." Remembering her friends, just outside, Henrietta grabbed his hand. "You were right, by the way. My friend _did_ make it down here! With his siblings!" The old man followed her outside, noticing the fallen rifle on the deck.

"Henri-"

"Prince! Sheelia! Comet! Rogue! Come meet my uncle Hemsing!" For a moment, nothing happened.

Mr. Hemsing squeezed her shoulder, beginning to wonder if her friend had been the imaginary type.

To his surprise and her delight, four shadows dropped down behind them. Massive with their bony structure, Mr. Hemsing eyed the rifle a foot away. These were not things he considered friendly.

Henrietta, oblivious to how her uncle felt, approached the largest.

"This is Prince. He stayed with me on the ship for the longest time before I got shipped down here with you. His siblings I met as soon as he found me, just before you got home. This is Comet, with the streak on his head, and this is Rogue. They're his brothers. The only girl is Sheelia." In turn, she patted their heads and they purred to her, keeping their tails on the floor and heads lowered.

"Henrietta…" A scolding was on the tip of his tongue, but as he watched Prince, the largest one of all, curl up at her feet as if it was the most natural thing in the world, he stopped.

"They can stay, can't they? You won't tell?"

Before he could stop himself, the words were pouring out, "as long as they are on their best behavior… I guess they can stay."

Whooping in joy, Henrietta ran inside, the siblings following to see her house and their new nesting spot.

Mr. Hemsing gently touched Prince's side, stopping him from following. The creature could feel, mentally, what the older man wanted. The older man knew he could.

"I know a great deal about your kind… Prince. I know you are, ironically, in your prince stage, turning into a queen. I also know, it doesn't take long for the transformation to happen. Judging by the events I know and what Henrietta has told me, you're the escaped warrior that we never found." Mr. Hemsing stopped for a moment, watching Henrietta explain the television to the xenomorphs inside.

"I know your transformation stopped which leads me to a very farfetched and absurd but clearly possible explanation. Your kind practically feeds off socialization, you need your hive, no matter the numbers. Henrietta became your queen and you two made a hive of your own. Now, you've added much younger ones to that hive." Pausing for a breather, Mr. Hemsing looked Prince in the eye. To Prince, it became eerie how he knew where their hidden eyes were located.

"I'll not tell a soul you are here, but you don't hurt my baby girl." Then, the elder man chuckled and shook his head. "If she is your queen, I know you'll protect her, what am I sayin'?"

Prince understood perfectly. Mr. Hemsing is the authority over Henrietta, his siblings' and his queen, and his dearest friend. He wanted to protect her, the same as them.

Moving to the yard, he dug his claws into the dirt to communicate the only way he knew how.

 _Henrietta is my friend and my queen. She is my siblings' queen. You are her uncle, a member of this hive, and while not traditional for my species, you are the head of the family - the hive, and Henrietta will be your successor._

Mr. Hemsing smiled before opening the door and welcoming the eldest xenomorph into the house.

It was absurd to even try and trust these creatures. However, they were intelligent and had a family structure that rivaled the whales on Earth. So long as he was assured Henrietta's safety, his old soul would rest easy at night.

Which led to another issue. With their massive sizes, where could they sleep and not tear up the house while they were at it?


	13. Part 13 - Prince's POV on the Reunion

**Part 13**

 _Prince's POV on the Reunion_

 **Okay, the next extra for SQ will be the farm! So keep an eye for that coming in the next few weeks!**

 **11/12: Okay... I lied. But! This time, I'll have the first part up for the crew on the farm! It should be 3 or 4 chapters long. After the farm, we get to see them on a little vacation! I'm still taking requested one-shots right now, but that will close after I publish the bonus chapter.**

Walking on the forest floor, Prince and his litter were slowly approaching the final destination. For the last couple of days, he couldn't quite pinpoint why the Queen and Henrietta were practically next to each other.

Perhaps Henrietta had picked up a new friend before being shipped off. Only, that thought pained Prince's heart.

 _Replaced._

 _What?_ Gently, his younger brother came to bump his head into Prince's shoulder.

 _Nothing, forget about it._

He could feel their concern about his sudden mood changes. As they neared closer and closer, the pendulum between happy, sad, and angry swung faster and faster.

 _Is that her?_

Not even a yard away stood Henrietta, goosebumps rose on her skin and dirt covered her feet. A machine swung around her neck, a camera. It looked just like the picture Henrietta use to show him, one thing on her wish list.

 _Prince?! Is it her? Is that your friend?_

 _It looks like her._

 _She looks nice._ At the look his siblings gave him, Prince's brother, the one with the streak, chuckled nervously. _I mean she doesn't look like the others. The ones on the ship._

Prince took a step forward, craning his head to get a better look through the branches that currently separated them. She took no notice of their presence, continuing to walk out of the woods and into a large area. A yard.

His mind pinpointed her location, feeling her sudden anxiety spike inside her mind. With it, he felt another pang at the back of his skull. Her anxiety made him anxious.

 _Prince? Are you okay?_ His sister nuzzled his neck, purring to get his attention.

 _One in the same. That pain was her pain. This anxiety is her anxiety._

 _What does that even mean?_ Frustrated, one of his brothers came to snap in front of his face, annoyed by the eldest's behavior.

 _We watch from a distance._ Prince didn't correct his brother's disrespectful behavior but ignored the three all together as he headed into the branches and to a spot that granted him clear access to watch Henrietta's new home.

He watched as she warily stared into the forest before shutting the curtains with a quick flick of her wrist and keeping him isolated from her.

The next day, the older man, her guardian Prince assumed, left early. Henrietta had to yet to stir from her room. Eventually, she did, leaving on a large vehicle with more children around her age.

 _Where is she going?_

 _School. That's a… bus. A bus. It will transport the kids to the school._

 _Oh…_

They kept quiet in the trees, fully aware of the neighbors that were a distance away, but still a present threat. No one entered the yard, uncertain about the seemingly harmless animals inside the wooden structure, or the exposure the spacious area gave them.

 _Can we go get the food now?_

 _Food? Yeah. Sure._

Prince didn't bother to turn to address them, keeping his eyes on the occasional passing vehicle on the road and the empty yard. It wasn't until he noticed his brothers hadn't gone too far as expected.

They were on the top of the structure, checking out the terrified animals inside.

 _No! You idiots! They aren't for us to eat!_ Jumping from his spot, Prince knocked them from the roof, tackling them into the bush and keeping them flat on the ground.

 _Hey-_

 _Silence, idiots. Someone could have heard._

No one spoke, their sister remaining just across the field. The animals quieted down, every once and awhile give out strange noises of distress, but they too stayed quiet for the most part.

 _Don't hurt Henrietta's animals. They are not food. Go hunting if you're hungry. Stay away from the humans. Don't make a big mess, either._ Prince moved away, he long each up and checking them for any injury he may have caused in his panic.

His sister came to sit in a branch close by, watching the scene with a keen interest. As soon as her brothers had disappeared, she spoke directly to Prince.

 _You're not okay. Your jumpy, agitated, and… and just not yourself. What's really the problem?_

Prince didn't answer but chose to peek in on the strange animals that inhabited the defenseless structure. The large, muscled beast gave a 'moo', displeased by his presence, but understanding he had no intentions of hunting them.

 _I can feel it. Can you?_

 _I feel nothing but you guys. Is it Henrietta? Is something wrong with her? Is she ill?_

 _No. It's not her. Come, let me try to explain fully._

They headed back up into the cover of the trees, stretching themselves out onto branches. Apparently, the brother had been eavesdropping and returned almost immediately to listen to their big brother talk.

 _You, sister, are a warrior. A type of class within our kind set out to guard the drones and prepare for any defensive or offensive attack the Hive may make. We are a Hive, a group of our kind._

 _What are we?_

 _The scientists and other beings, refer to us as xenomorphs. That is their given name for us._

 _What are we?_ His streaked brother bounced forward slightly, followed by his other counterpart.

 _Yeah. What are we?_

 _You two are… mutated drones. They built the Hive's home. They took care of the younglings and such. Mustard drones, however, have a specialized role as hunters. You're stuck between a transition from drone to warrior. It's a natural occurrence, of course, but due to the serum they gave you, it may have caused a forced transition within you two._

They stayed quiet for a moment.

 _Is that why I have this streak on my head?_

 _Probably, yes. There's nothing wrong with it, brother._

 _It makes you unique._ His sister piped up, bopping him upside his head with the flat part of her tail.

 _What are you then?_

 _I was once a warrior, like our sister here._

 _Was once?_

 _Yes._ He nuzzled his brother asking the questions before continuing. _I am… was changing. I was changing into becoming a Queen, the leader of the Hive._

 _Why aren't you the leader?_

 _He is the leader, dumbbell._ She whacked him upside the head once more, but with more force.

 _I lead you because I have more experience and I am the eldest. I am not the leader. I am not a Queen. When I said that her pain was mine and her anxiety was mine, I was referring to Henrietta. For whatever reason, despite being as different from us as she could be, she is my Queen._ Our _Queen._

Before much more could be said, the sound of a roaring engine came to the front of the house. The bus had returned and with it, Henrietta.

 _So… we never really had to choose, did we?_

 _No, brother. No, we did not._

Prince retook his spot on the highest, sturdy branch where he could easily watch her. He switched his senses, keeping an eye on her bouncy movements across the house.

His brothers finally went hunting, leaving their siblings to watch over their new Queen.

 _She loves you._

 _What?_ Straightening in his spot, Prince swiveled his head around to face her, despite being able to see a 360 around himself.

 _I'm starting to feel it. At first, I had to go through your link to feel anything from her, but now, I can. She's depressed and lonely and just a bit anxious. I think that's because the man isn't home yet, but her loneliness doesn't stem from anything other than the fact she misses you. I can feel it. She's thinking about you._

Prince turned his head back to the house, pushing his mind to fully connect to Henrietta's, just like he used to do on the ship. What his sister had said was very much true. Her anxiety, her depression, and her loneliness, but he couldn't feel what caused them.

 _How can you tell? I can't pinpoint the source of her emotions._

 _I'm not pinpointing the source. She keeps looking up at the sky. I don't think humans do that a lot. Besides, when she looks up, a feel a sudden peak of sadness deep within her and if what you say about her relationship with her father is true, then she must be thinking about you in those moments._

 _Dinner is served!_

The carcass dragged along the forest floor to rest a few trees away. Their brothers didn't bother to wait, they just dug in. Per usual, Prince had his share last.

 _Her anxiety is peaking again and this time it hasn't gone down._

 _I feel it too._

 _We all feel it dumbo._

The siblings looked to their eldest, unable to judge his mood as he quietly watched the house.

 _Let's go check it out._

They followed him into the yard, the animals occasionally whining at their proximity.

 _Holy-_

 _Turn that off!_

Prince darted off to the side before the beam of light could properly hit him, his siblings following his lead. He had already closed his eyes, something they did naturally when not using their sight. His siblings, on the other hand, had gotten a bright flash of light to the eyes, leaving them uncoordinated for a moment.

 _Let me go turn that off. Then we can approach._

Prince paced behind the tree trunk as his young sister ran off to find the power box. He could feel her anxiety deep into his own bones, making him jittery. He knew she didn't like to be alone. Yet, she always was.

 _Maybe something's inside? Her fear is rising faster now._

 _Nothing is inside._

 _Maybe with the lights off, she got scared? Let's go see._

Both brothers ran forward before Prince could stop their stupidity. His brother with the streak came to a sudden stop at the deck, but his second brother barreled straight into the door by accident, momentum pushing him forward.

 _Get back!_ They regrouped at the tree line, his brother rubbing his head and whining from the sudden stop against the glass.

 _Maybe we should knock?_ Prince didn't respond to his sister's suggestion but advanced forward to the deck.

The door slowly slid open before a beam of light cast right on his sister's face. With a silent shriek of panic, they scattered, leaving Prince to calmly dance around the beam.

A shot fired in the direction his younger sister had been and he could feel her sudden fear and rejection. His brothers came to stand by her side, hissing gently in warning.

 _Enough! Stay back and behind me._

 _What if she shoots you?!_

 _She won't. Go turn the lights back on. She's panicking because we turned them off. She thinks she's under attack._

Quickly, they scurried along back to the box at the side of the house.

Prince approached where he could see Henrietta sitting against the house. He gave out a loud but low purr in hopes to ease some of the anxiety that shot at her nerves. The light wobbly came to trace his form, not highlighting him fully.

Once he reached the edge of the deck, he heard a click from her gun. She hadn't been able to recognize him.

Remembering some of the movies they watched together, Prince sat on his haunches and lifted his forearms up in a pose he hoped mimicked that of surrendering.

 _The light would be appreciated anytime now, guys._

 _Got it! The switch was stuck._

Lights flooded the area, blinding them all. Prince winced, already anticipating the burning it would cause. He quickly closed his eyes, switching to an easier sense to see in the blinding light. Echolocation.

Her surprise outweighed the fear in her as she could finally see the creatures in front of her.

"Prince?"

A low, steady purr built up in his chest into a crescendo, louder than that of any freighter engine, as his dearest friend looked up at him in wonderment and awe. Then, she threw her weapon aside, lighting a flare of happiness deep inside his heart, and ran straight into his chest for a hug.

 _Oh, how I've missed you, Henrietta._

If there was one thing he wanted to experience, it would be the ability, in this one moment only, to shed tears of joy he had seen so many humans do.


	14. Requests

Hey dear readers,

I have already completed this story as stated in its status. However, after reading through some reviews giving suggestions and asking about one shots and sequels, I've decided to take small, one shot requests that would continue their adventure. I won't take all of them and nothing crazy but just a cute thought that comes to your mind. Once I'm done with requests I'll post the final and bonus chapter with the crew. I think you'll like it.

I won't be able to write once a week but I'll write down every suggestion and who suggested it so that I'll get to them eventually.

If this is a terrible idea, let me know.

Your dearest author,

A.J.


	15. Part 14 - The Farm pt 1

**Part 14**

 **Edit 12/1: Before I explain anything and let you see the next few bonus chapters, allow me to apologize because I thought I uploaded this like two weeks ago, but I apparently didn't. So sorry guys!**

 _Time for some more explaining:_

The Lafhwa is what could be considered a "chicken". It has scaly, sharp claws, furry feathers, and very small, almost nonexistent wings. They do lay eggs but will bury them under the ground for safety and warmth - often sitting on the spot where the eggs are buried. They aren't exactly easy to cook either.

-Lafhwa is a unisex term for the "chicken". Pronounced: Lag-wa

-Add a "z" for plural

-Lafwa is the male, the "rooster". It doesn't crow either. Pronounced: Lag-e-wa

-Add an "s" for plural

-Lagwa is the female, the "hen". Pronounced: Lag-á-wa

-Add a "z" for plural

-Hint: Emphasis the "A" in Lagwa but not the "E" in Lafwa

The Murjura is a very horse-like creature that resembles a deer. It's a very majestic creature that can gallop up to 30mph and both female and male have antlers. Because of the colors they come in and the tendencies for "glowing wisps" to gather around their antlers at night, they are often referred to as mythical. Much like an Earthly Rhino, they can be extremely aggressive during the day, but very passive at night. They tend to be nocturnal animals.

-Murjura is a unisex term. Pronounced: moo-jur-ra (stutter a bit on the r to pronounce it twice)

-Through context, it can be plural or singular

-Murjurae is the female term. They have large, crown-like antler. They aren't really used for fighting but can be usefully in batting away predators or annoying xenos. Pronounced: moo-jur-ay (no stutter on the "R")

-Add an "e" for plural

-Murjuraa is the male term. They have large antlers that set forward on their head, unlike females who have more of a circling and upward antler. They use this like a battering ram for fighting. Pronounced: moo-jur-aa (Prolonged "A" sound.)

-Add a "y" for plural

(They have three goats and one cow from Earth mainly because Earth animals are more expensive while creatures like the lafhwa are cheaper because they're just easier to get and transport and due to where they are (as in the planet) the lafhwa are popular to get for farming eggs and more lafhwaz).

* * *

Prince amusedly watched, curled at Hemsing's feet on the deck, as Henrietta ran around trying to keep the animals calm. His siblings' questions were running a mile a minute through his mind, curious about all the new animals and why they, specifically, were a part of the farm.

Uncle Hemsing reached over and gently patted him on the side to catch his attention.

"Perhaps, you should go down and help." The older man made no intention to move. He simply resettled into his seat, his hands folding over her lap as he watched.

Prince could feel his own amusement, but a deep worry rooted itself in the back of his mind. He couldn't pinpoint the source.

Mentally agreeing, Prince rose from his spot, taking his time to stretch before he leaped off the deck and over to where Henrietta was currently trying to get Sheelia to stop bothering the lafhwaz, especially the females who were attempting to burrow their fertilized eggs.

 _Alright, alright, stop bothering them._

Prince grabbed her by her tail, pulling her away before the mother could peck at the unwelcomed visitor… again.

"Comet! Don't hurt the goats!" The young xeno had been fascinated by the two male goats. They had been butting heads for the past hour and Comet had decided, after observing to understand the 'game', to join in.

Prince, after sending Sheelia to wait by the deck, chased after Comet who followed the goats up the side of the barn and onto the lower roof.

 _That's for the goats to play on. Not you, Comet. Get your butt back down here._

 _But I wanna play!_

 _And you're giving Henrietta a heart attack. Go wait by the deck with Sheelia. You too, Rogue._

Rogue had been lounging around, getting a feel for the wide-open space. While the outdoor area had been enclosed to keep the animals from wandering into the woods or onto the road, the space was quite large for just one cow and some goats.

The barn had been partially encased in the enclosed area so the goats could easily climb onto the low hanging roof or get back inside where fresh water and grains awaited them.

A miniature shed had been attached to the side of the barn for whenever the Lafhwaz wanted to take shelter or were ready to eat or drink.

Once the xenos had been gathered around, Henrietta brought over the only female goat, a doe, they had.

"Okay, so, this is a female pygmy goat from Earth! Her name's Carla. Say hi!" The doe only bleated a reply. Henrietta led her back to the pin where the other goats were. She waved for them to follow.

Comet sat beside her, pouting that the two males were back at their 'game' without him.

"The two males are fighting by butting heads. It's just what goats do. The one with the tan and brown-"

"Caramel. The term for that coat is caramel, Rita." At Hemsing's interjection, Henrietta turned to stick her tongue out before continuing.

"His name is Torro. The black-ish one-"

"That's a black agouti pattern on his coat. I thought you knew all of this?" His posh tone gave a high ring to his voice and as he spoke, he brought his thumb and pointer finger together as if orchestrating his words. The old man sat in his chair, a grin on his face at the look of annoyance she gave him.

He lived for moments like these.

"I'm going to ignore you for the rest of the day." Turning her attention to the goats, who had already moved on to other things, she continued, "his name is Guru. He likes to chill on top of the lower roof all the time. See where the shelf-like stairs are? That's what allows them to get up and down while the fence on top keeps them from getting to the back side of the barn or jumping off and hurting themselves."

Henrietta opened the gate, letting the xenos walk inside the pin.

"The slide and tires are something they like to play with too." She pointed to the other side where several tires had been stuck in the ground for them to hop on and a slide for them to play with.

Comet was tempted to join Clara on the slide, but Prince gently pushed him forward to follow Henrietta where the cow laid resting.

A portion of the back fence had been overtaken by shrubs and a few trees were sprouting up. The wild over brush was a favorite snacking spot for the cow and where she tended to hang around versus the front side where the goats were running and playing.

More often than not, when the goats were tired of their play or fighting, they would come to lay next to her and relax.

"Okay, this is Miss Bear. She's a female cow and where we get most of our milk that we sell. Uncle Hemsing takes a lot of the produce here to the fresh market on Fridays when I'm at school." She left the cow to rest and led them back to the deck where the lafhwaz were busy fighting.

With fertilized eggs, the lagwaz wanted the only male to leave them alone to burrow the eggs. The eggs weren't the best used for cooking, so Hemsing thought it best to fertilize them and sell the chicks when they were ready.

"Okay, so we got four females names Lulu, Chu, Gardny, and Mrs. W. They're burying the eggs to keep them safe and warm." Turning her attention to the one lafwa, who had taken shelter inside their shed, explained, "you can tell he's male by the more yellow feathers he's got. His name is Clookie."

"Henrietta, it's about time for fresh water for the goats, then you need to finish your homework. You can do more explaining later." Pouting, the girl headed off to the barn, the goats following in their normal routine. "Comet, its fine for you to play with the goats, but be mindful, they are tough and hardy but are very small and you can hurt them. Sheelia, it's a crucial time for the females to guard their eggs, give them space or you'll stress them."

With those words, he shooed them off to explore as he headed back inside the house for his weekly show.

Rogue scaled his way onto the house's roof, catching the first few rays of the sun that broke the usual shade over the valley.

Sheelia kept her distance, laying down a few feet from one of the lagwaz who had just finished burying her egg and proceeded to sit on top to guard. The female would occasionally turn her head to watch the large predator but otherwise ignored Sheelia.

Henrietta showed Comet how the faucet worked as she filled the bucket with cool water for the awaiting goats. Torro would headbutt Comet's leg to get his attention, but with Henrietta watching, Comet didn't buy into the attempt. No matter how badly he wanted to.

Prince also followed along, helping to carry things around the barn and keep Comet in line. Once everything was done, he joined Rogue on the roof for some sun as Henrietta headed back inside to do her homework.

Comet joined Carla on the lower roof of the barn as Miss Bear wandered to the trough for a drink of water before resting just outside the barn doors.


	16. Part 15 - The Farm pt 2

**Part 15**

 **How does this look? Not a lot of xeno conversation, but they are working on settling more comfortably on the farm. In the next part (most likely last part), you'll see some new editions ;D**

It wasn't very long until the xenos began to act quite strangely. Hemsing thought it was about time they had begun to instinctively dig just a few yards behind the barn.

While Henrietta had yet to notice, her uncle had stumbled, quite literally, across it. He knew from the research that had been conducted that the creatures would make elaborate tunnel systems underground and on the sides of mountains. It gave them plenty of space to safely roam, play, grow, and eat. It also was designed to easily defend their queen, but Henrietta lived above ground and in a home, that wasn't designed to house space hogging xenos.

Henrietta had been cleaning the barn when she couldn't find a specific brush. One that had fallen off the shelf, hit the open window sill and landed just behind the barn. What were the odds?

As she rounded the "chicken" coup, she failed to spot the new addition just behind the barn and went stumbling down the hole. The ride down wasn't as smooth as one would think, instead, it was lined with jagged rock and loose dirt.

"Ow," she whimpered as she finally rested on the bottom of the pit, her arm squished between her ribs and the ground.

A hiss came from above her and a wave of panic came over her. But, the large form nuzzled the top of her head as its body curled around hers. Three more hisses came from the top of the hole, one sounding more like a growl.

Once back on top, Hemsing inspected her arm, figuring she must have broken something.

"Why don't I get you to the hospital for an x-ray and I'll see if we can disguise the hole so no one can see it." He shooed the xenos out of the way as Prince helped to get her in the truck. "While we're gone, Prince, if you would keep an eye on the animals. If we're not back in a few hours, try to herd them back into their pins and give the little guys some freshwater."

With that, Hemsing took off down the road and towards the city.

 _Perhaps we should move the entrance?_ Sheelia came to sit by him in the garage, the automatic door closed.

 _No, we need it close to the house. Uncle Hemsing probably has an idea as to how to disguise it and hopefully, no one else stumbles straight in._

 _Hey! Comet! Don't let him get out of the pin!_

At Rogue's shout, Sheelia and Prince bolted back into the house and out the back door. They came just in time to see the disappearing goat as it ran straight into the woods. Rogue had managed to keep the others safely inside the fencing while Comet dangled upside down from the barn's roof.

 _I didn't let him out! He was going to hurt himself!_

 _Then, next time grab him and put him_ in _the pin. Not outside of it!_

Their displeased hisses turned into angry growls as they turned on each other.

 _Enough! Comet guard the back fence. Sheelia keep watch on the roof and make sure your brothers don't kill one another. Rogue, keep an out on the barn's roof and keep the animals in the pin and safe. I'll grab the runaway._

Sheelia grumbled, much preferring to follow her elder brother and help, but did as she was told and took her spot just above Henrietta's window. Comet hissed once more at his brother but quickly took to the back of the yard at Prince's growl. Something much deeper in volume and terrifying combined with his massive size.

He sprinted for the forest, knowing the neighbors were just a few miles away. If they caught sight of him, there would be trouble.

The little creature hadn't ventured as far as he expected, but it wasn't alone. Hunter dogs had surrounded it, but their handler was nowhere in sight. Perhaps they had been let loose for fun or had managed to get out, but either way, they were terrorizing the goat.

Pouncing, Prince landed just above the goat, who he came to recognize as Carla, and growled viciously at the punier predators. He could smell the fear coming from her, but thankful she didn't move.

Swiping his claw, he scratched the ground just before their paws, forcing them back. Then, he swooped Carla up in his palm and sprinted back to the barn where Comet and Rogue were already back to fighting.

 _Is this the teenage stage Hemsing had warned me about?_

Sheelia continued to push them back while making sure none of the animals got too close to the fighting. Which was difficult since the male goats wanted to join.

Prince climbed through the opening in the barn where he placed Carla on the large pile of fresh stringwood. While hay would be ideal for the Earthly creatures, it was more expensive than stringwood which was a decent substitute and the goats didn't seem to mind it.

He purred at her, rubbing his head against the side of her body in means to ease her anxiety. It worked for the most part. When he left, he made sure to close the gate and bolt it, ensuring she would stay safely inside.

Prince herded in Miss Bear next, ordering his sister to grab the remaining goats and place them back inside the barn. He hoped letting his brothers duke it out would solve the issue.

Miss Bear jogged to her stall for safety, the fighting distressing her. He kept himself between her and his brothers and once she was settled in her stall, he bolted it.

Sheelia, annoyed at both the fussing goats and the idiots she called brothers, came walking in on her hind legs, a goat tucked under each arm. She placed them next to Carla.

Prince checked on the lafhwaz who had taken cover in their coup, their eggs safely underground. He then headed back to his brothers who circled each other like knights before a dramatic battle.

Stepping in between, he gave a low hiss. He could hear their salty remarks to each other, but they didn't rush, not with him standing in between them.

Sheelia remained in the barn, giving freshwater to the goats and trying to alleviate their stress with calming purrs.

"What in the two hells is going on here?!" At his cuss, Henrietta paled beside him, her arm in a sling.

The two fighting males became stock still, Rogue not daring to look over his shoulder. Prince stepped back, bounding his way to uncle Hemsing's side. He nudged Henrietta, sniffing at the medical device.

"I'm okay." She patted his head before heading to the barn.

Henrietta noticed how Sheelia was running from one side of the barn to the other in hopes to calm the animals. She also noted how freshwater had been placed in each stall, even the empty one that Hemsing refused to tell her about.

"Why don't we play some music, hmm?" She turned on the speakers and selected Khiang-Cwhoo, a genre filled with mostly instrumental songs. It had been one of the many mixes between Earthly and alien culture.

The goats always looked to enjoy the music and Miss Bear never made any objections so long as it wasn't loud.

Outside, Hemsing set the two misfits to work on fixing the torn-up ground (mainly by flattening the ground with the flat side of their tails and getting rid of any large clumps or rocks) and the knocked over slide. Prince looked on, noticing the lagwaz returning to their guarding spots. The male remained close to the coup, choosing not to get near the females lest he be pecked at.

"Henrietta, get inside. You still need some rest. I'll call the school tomorrow." Hemsing waited until she had done as he asked before sending one last glare to the xenos. "Why don't you come on inside with me, Sheelia? The animals will be fine. I'm sure Rogue and Comet will attend to them." He motioned her to follow him inside.

Prince waited a moment, sending one last command to them before heading inside himself.

That night, Sheelia took Rogue's napping spot next to uncle Hemsing in his room. Prince kept Henrietta company until she was fast asleep where he took his position on the roof, over watching the backyard. Eventually, he'd sleep there, making sure to close the window when he felt the nightly chill descend into the valley.

Comet heeded Prince's last orders. He took his perch on the high end of the barn's roof while Rogue slept for a few hours next to Miss Bear. Then, they switched places, only Comet joined the goats as their nightly nap buddy.

When the sun came rising, Sheelia and Prince returned to the pit, forming the tunnels deep underneath the property and making a proper space for them to sleep and eat.

Hemsing came out as he usually did to check up on the animals and release them into the yard. Comet and Rogue were allowed to do as they pleased once more and took to the trees for more sleep. This time, cuddled together.

This day, Henrietta didn't come to do her normal chores and remained inside for the better part. Prince often kept her company, but when he was busy constructing their hideaway, Rogue came to sit by her side and watch television.

By the end of the week, Hemsing had ordered new supplies which were delivered right next to the house. The xenos took cover in the tunnels instead of the trees to avoid the people.

It took several weeks to finish the new project. The entrance to the tunnels would be surrounded by a shed that housed some more farm equipment and a trap door laid just over their entranceway, easy for them to open and close. It was big enough for one xeno to move in or out without disrupting the rest of the space.

If anyone asked, it was no big deal, just a cellar under the barn. Though, the truth was far from it. That "cellar" expanded under the entire property and reached up to the road and about as back as a mile into the woods. The xenos could sense the animals and their human family members above the ground, even following them when they moved across the lot.

One xenomorph could be resting at the farthest point underground and still feel the connection with the others and the emotions of those on the farm.

To keep their meals private, another entrance had been built in the woods where they could drag their kills down into the tunnels.

However, despite the room given, most of the time they preferred to sleep directly under the house or barn where they were closest to their family and should they be needed, the exit was extremely close by. Just as Prince had wanted it.


	17. Part 16 - The Farm pt 3 (& End)

**Part 16**

 **It has been a pleasure. I'm very sorry if these last portions were disappointing, but I actually feel very good about the content in my chapters which is a bit of a surprise for me, I usually feel like there is a lot to improve on. Anyway, I may return to do little things when I'm inspired by these characters again, but for now, this story is officially finished. I am reuploading all parts to Deviantart along with the author notes attached.**

 **I have no idea when I may write more about Aliens or even Predators, but this has been so much fun and a great outlet for me, creatively and emotionally, so thank you for reading and sticking with me as I try to wrap this up.**

 **As asked, there is no sequel. Everything after Prince's POV on the Reunion can technically be considered the sequel and finalization of what happens after they reunite. I'm not even sure what I'd write about for a sequel and no, no government is going to catch them or some random crap like that – too cliché and too expected at this point. Let's just leave this story at a happy note.**

 **One last thing, I'm afraid this story came out quite late do to some issues I was having with . I apologize for that and hope I didn't keep you waiting too long.**

 **Merry (Late) Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.**

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Noise thundered above them. Hemsing had warned them about the new arrivals coming at dusk and so, the xenos had taken refuge in their tunnels. They nestled directly underneath where Henrietta sat on the deck with bated breath.

The day had finally arrived. The empty stall in the barn was to be filled with some new residents.

Over the course of a few months, the farm had taken some dramatic changes. For one, a new shed disguised the xenomorphs' tunnel entrance. Secondly, said xenomorphs, along with Henrietta, had witnessed their first live birth.

Carla and Guru had their first kid just a few weeks prior. The new addition had been the fifth girl welcomed into the family and named fittingly as Quintessa, Tessa for short.

The lafhwaz had finally buried their last eggs for their fertile season. Their chicks had been cleaned, weighed, and fed and before long, they were sold off to a multitude of people. Some were bought by families, but most had been taken to new farms.

Sheelia had been delighted at seeing the babies squawking around the yard and keeping them from wandering too far from their mothers. Most days, she spent her nights curled just outside the coup to keep watch of any predators that occasionally roamed too close to the farm.

Another change had also occurred since the aliens' arrival. Hemsing had removed the security system and allowed the goats to freely roam at night as well. The predators that lurked about were no longer a problem with the 24/7 security team they had.

A small door for them had been cut into the side of the barn, that way they could move in and out as they pleased, but not touch some of the equipment they were fond of playing with or bother Miss Bear. The large barn doors were kept closed at night and locked, but the windows that had once kept the predators out as well, had been uninstalled and allowed the xenos to easily get inside if they so choose.

Prince, per usual, kept watch just above Henrietta's window on the roof. Very rarely did he descend into the tunnels to sleep at night. He reserved that as a napping place during the day and a place to eat privately.

Rogue had become much more relaxed being introduced to the farm. Most days he kept to the back of the fenced area where Miss Bear liked to graze and would keep watch of anything approaching from the woods. At night, he took naps next to Uncle Hemsing and kept watch of the woods by perching in the trees.

Comet kept his perch on the barn and, as instructed by his older brother, watched the goats with a keen eye.

The new residents had been delayed due to some complications. One being the young foal that now accompanied its parents into the pasture where they acquainted themselves with not only the area but the various objects it contained.

Murjura were nocturnal creatures by nature hence why their stall had been placed in a corner with no windows and a large sheet like curtain to help block the sunlight out. They were also family oriented much like wolves. Their packs consisted of a father and mother along with any offspring they may have. It was uncommon but not unusual for several packs or families to join together in grazing and sleeping.

On their home planet, cool, dark caves could be found in abundance in their northern regions. Hemsing did his best to reconstruct the cave in their stall with air conditioning and the curtains. Naturally, the valley kept pretty cool and the chilly air would take over the valley at night.

The overly large stall would be enough for them to sleep in and keep close.

The goats shouldn't be a bother to them especially since they were smaller and Murjura were known for their friendly temperament towards smaller animals, but to larger creatures, it was a gamble.

Most likely, they wouldn't encounter Miss Bear and Hemsing highly doubted any trouble. With xenomorphs on the farm, it worried him quite a bit of their reaction, but as long as they had time to adjust, he was sure everything would be okay.

The male of the trio took the lead in discovering the area, huffing at Comet who had retaken his position on the barn as soon as the truck driver had left.

In the morning, Hemsing would introduce them to their overly large stall. For now, it was time for dinner and he led Henrietta back inside where Rogue had already taken residence on the couch.

The young foal kept close to its mother, no antlers growing from its head just yet. She sniffed around her mother's hooves, anxious about the new place. However, with its mother close by, its anxiety eased slightly.

The murjuraa continued to huff at Comet until finally he came down. They sniffed at each other and the murjuraa hit his antlers lightly against his shoulder. At the motion that Comet believed threateningly, he jumped back onto the roof and away from confrontation.

Prince joined him there, watching as the goats came scuttling out to meet the new guests and Torro came to join the bigger residents on the roof.

Finally, the male turned from them, taking a small interest in the goats that had joined them as he returned to his mate's side. Over the course of the night, they seemed to relax, the foal straying from its mother to explore the enclosure.

Inside the home Henrietta sat at the kitchen table, questions flying out of her mouth a mile a minute.

"Alright, alright, alright. After dinner, we can go back out. For now, eat your soup." Uncle Hemsing slid her bowl to her and offered a bowl of water to Rogue.

Then, he joined her at the table.

"So, what do they do?"

"What do you mean 'what do they do?" He gave her a raised eyebrow, his eyes pointing to her soup. "Eat."

"I'm not hungry." Henrietta crossed her arms, a stubborn pout forming on her lips.

Giving an exasperated sigh, Hemsing motioned for her to continue.

"Well, the lafhwaz lay their eggs and we sell the chicks to other farms and stuff. The goats are pets. Miss Bear gives us some milk that we sell to that old fart-" Hemsing gave her a stern glare, but she continued on anyway, "what do the Murjura do?"

"Nothing. Like the goats, they're pets. They were also suppose to help keep predators away at night and allow the goats to roam whenever but with the shipment and the design of the barn, I just didn't think everything through. Probably should have gotten separate places for them all, but it just seemed easier…" Hemsing continued to talk about the placement of everything, but Henrietta had zoned him out, mindlessly petting the top of Rogue's head as he sat by them.

"Finish your soup and we'll get acquainted with them." His command caught her ear and she sat up straighter in her chair to pretend like she had been listening.

Hemsing knew better.

Back outside, Sheelia stuck her snout through the fence to sniff at the foal. She seemed curious but delighted and playful with her. However, her father came up in a rush, snorting his displeasure and stamping his hooves into the ground. The foal quickly ran back to her mother.

 _He's only agitated. Relax Comet._

His younger brother's hackles were raised at the murjuraa's aggressive display. Sheelia on the other hand remained completely calm and not in the least offended.

 _I'm fine. He's being protective and doing his job._

 _Why's the mom so calm then?_

 _Perhaps just more focused on her baby?_

Their conversation cut short as Uncle Hemsing came out of the house with an excited Henrietta in tow.

They both came up to the fence, catching the attention of everyone. The goats greeted them, happy to see them per usual before sprinting across the yard in play.

Lamps lit the edge of the fenced area with a warm glow just to give everything a short shadow.

"Alright, we're going to hang by the barn and let them come to us and get use to us. Just be slow to not frighten them." Uncle Hemsing led her over to the locked barn doors and leaned against the wood.

Like he said, the Murjura came to sniff at them before returning to the pasture. The foal wagged her tail in contained excitement, enjoying the attention she received from Henrietta.

"This has been the best three months in my entire life." Her words caught Hemsing off guard and he could do nothing more than gape for a moment at her.

But then, he had to admit he enjoyed the previous months too. Henrietta always had a smile on her face nowadays and was always up before him. That in itself was a feat.

She continued to try to take the pictures of birds that had nestled all around them and learn more about the wildlife that was right at her back door. She spoke a lot more fondly of friends from school, some having known her on the ship while others had never known a life among the stars.

Henrietta considered herself lucky to have been able to travel at such a young age. While she hated the confinement of the metal, she admitted on several occasions that she missed the view of the stars and seeing the planets spin about.

She couldn't see herself going back, not when her family remained on this planet and there was no way she could possibly think of uprooting them to take them back to the stars.

Hemsing himself knew how she felt. He had wanted nothing more than to enter space and seek adventure ever since he heard of their first successful landing on Mars. Now, they had colonies reaching far and wide and were in alliance with hundreds of other species.

Yet, the earth beneath his feet, fresh oxygen filling his lungs, and the brief but warming rays of sunlight was something he too had missed. In his old age, Hemsing knew it was best to retire on land.

Good thing too he had volunteered or else he wouldn't have ever experienced a family quite like the one that surrounded him now.

"Mine, too. Why don't we pick out some constellations on the upper deck, hmm?" He wrapped an arm around her leaving the animals to settle in for the night.

Prince met them up there, already curling around Henrietta's favorite chair while Rogue balanced himself on the thin railing like a cat. Comet and Sheelia eventually wandered their way up to the roof, just above their heads, and listened as Uncle Hemsing took the constellations Henrietta pointed out and brought life to them through stories.

He never told the same story twice.


End file.
